Every Day
by Rae1
Summary: Daiken. AU. A school auction changes Daisuke's life when he purchases his class- and team-mate, Ken Ichijouji.
1. Day Zero: the Auction

Daisuke gave a quick look around, then scuttled back behind the bleachers. The exit was getting closer with each passing second, but the nearer he moved to the door, the more teachers there seemed to be, making escape difficult.  
  
Finally, he made it to the edge of the bleachers. Luck was with him. A students screamed loudly halfway across the gym, distracting the teachers and giving Daisuke a clear shot out of the gym.  
  
He dodged into the hallway, grabbed the doorframe to shift his weight to the left, and then took off in that direction down the hall until he came to another corner, which he rounded quickly before stopping. At the end of the hallway, in front of the door that led outside, was the principal.  
  
The old, bent man was walking with a student and talking as they approached Daisuke. Neither had noticed him yet and he looked around quickly for a new route of escape. None stood out directly, and he backpedaled back to the hall that lead to the gymnasium. Halfway down was a nook, a possible hiding place if he was lucky and the principal was half-blind and the student was nice enough to keep his mouth shut.  
  
Daisuke took his chance and was just melding into the shadowed niche when the principal and student rounded the corner. He shut his eyes and held his breath as they walked past, murmuring in low voices.   
  
After a few seconds of silence, he opened his eyes and glanced around. He breathed a sigh of relief when all he saw was an empty hallway. With a grin and a two-fingered victory sign waved in the direction of the gym, he started back down the hallway, this time walking slower and feeling superior to all the teachers who didn't know he'd managed to sneak past them.  
  
It was a shock when a strong hand gripped the back of his T-shirt and hefted him off the ground. "And where do you think -you're- going, Mr. Motomiya?"  
  
"Mr. Ishida," Dai said tightly, scrunching his eyes shut as he recognized the voice and face of his music teacher. To be caught by any of the faculty would have been bad, but to have to be caught by the teacher that seemed to hate him the most...  
  
"What was he up to this time?" asked a feminine voice. Daisuke opened his eyes enough to peek hopefully at his history teacher, Sora Ishida. If anyone could keep the band teacher happy, it was his wife.  
  
"Trying to avoide the auction," Mr. Yagami said needlessly, walking up to the small group in the hallway. "Maybe you should put him down, Matt," he suggested to the blond teacher.  
  
Mr. Ishida put Daisuke down, but didn't relinquish his hold on the back of the boy's shirt. Daisuke grinned. With Mrs. Ishida -and- Coach Yagami around, he was safe. He turned his smile up to Mr. Ishida and instantly wondered if he was entirely accurate in that, as pale blue eyes seemed to stare into him.  
  
"Where did you think you were going, Daisuke?" Coach Yagami asked, drawing Daisuke out of the staring contest he was having with Mr. Ishida.  
  
"Um," he stammered, eyes turning up and left as he tried to come up with a suitable lie to cover his actions.  
  
"Time's up!" Mrs. Ishida said. "Yamato, let go of the boy. Taichi, escort him to the Disciplinary room. I will go inform the principal that he escaped again."  
  
"This place is a prison!" Daisuke exclaimed suddenly, throwing his arms out to his side. "Even -you- say I'm escaping, but I shouldn't have to -escape- from a place that's only supposed to be for my good!"  
  
"Motomiya-kun, I do not believe Ishida-chan meant it in that way." Dai turned to the latest person to join their growing hall-party. Koushiro Izumi, computer genius and teacher, stared back at him. There was neither like nor dislike in Mr. Izumi's gaze. He seemd indifferent to all the students, no matter how well or badly behaved they were. The only person who ever earned a reaction out of him was Coach Yagami.  
  
"Kou-chan!" the coach happily glomped his 'significant other', making the Ishidas smile dotingly. Dai rolled his eyes and turned away. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he thought the idea of his coach and computer teacher together was cute.  
  
While the all-male couple was busy creating and taking part in a scene, respectively, Mr. Ishida was turning back to the topic at hand, the results much to Daisuke's surprise and pleasure.  
  
"I don't think the principal needs to be told. Daisuke will only get another detention, which will only serve to bring his sister breathing down my neck," he was telling his wife, who was nodding in agreement. Blue eyes turned to Daisuke and pinned him with an intense look. "And as long as he promises to finish out the rest of the assembly today, I think it will be okay if we all pretend he never left in the first place."  
  
"Yes, sir!" Dai was quick to agree. He smiled happily up at his teacher, sudden admiration shining in his eyes.   
  
So the group returned to the gym, but wasn't long before Daisuke remembered why he had left in the first place.  
  
The center of the gym floor had been turned into a stage area, complete with a raised platform. The home-ec teacher was busy calling off bids for the merchandise on-stage. The current 'object' up for sale was the captain of the basketball team, TK Takaishi.  
  
Daisuke, already slumped on the bleachers, sunk even further when the girl he liked, one of the cheerleaders, bid on the basketball player. He had never understood why Kari liked the blond over him, but he suspected it had something to do with the fact that their older brothers were best friends.   
  
Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned to look into the eyes of his principal. "Not having fun, Daisuke?" Principal Gennai asked, smiling at the boy kindly. "I see that your teachers made sure you returned safely."  
  
Daisuke's eyes widened and his cheeks turned pink. He'd been caught, had probably been caught from the moment he had turned the corner earlier and seen the principal and student.  
  
The old man patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay. I was young once, too. After the dinosaurs, but before sliced bread." Daisuke gazed at him for a moment in silence, and then chuckled uneasily. It was bad when old people made age jokes. Such things should be left to the pros, the younger generation.  
  
The principal waved his hand at the stage. "I'm surprised you're not up there, Daisuke. Many of your teammates have already been sold."  
  
Daisuke's cheeks flamed brighter and he ducked his head in an attempt to hide his face as he mumbled out some excuse that sounded lame even to himself. In truth, he had passed up the opportunity to be auctioned off at the sports auction out of fear. He knew he had few friends in the school, and even fewer who would cough up money just to be stuck with him for a week. The profits of the auction were to go to the sports department, something which Daisuke would profit from as a soccer player.  
  
Instead, he had volunteered to help set up and clean up, and had placated his own ego by saying that he wanted a chance to place his bid in the auction. He had been disappointed when Kari said she wasn't going to be auctioned off either, and had been even more dejected when she had announced why.  
  
"Will you be betting?" the principal asked. Daisuke was starting to get annoyed with the questions, but kept his temper to himself.  
  
"I don't have money," he replied stiffly, watching as Kari's last bid outdid everyone's else, and she walked up to the stage to claim her prize. "I didn't bring any, 'cuz there wasn't anyone I wanted to win."  
  
Gennai made a considering sound. "You're a sad young man, Daisuke. Here." He tapped Daisuke with a white envelope. Daisuke looked at the old man and then at the envelope before taking it.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"It's a gift from me to you. Bid on someone you'd like to spend a week with, Daisuke. Think of someone you can talk to, or someone you want to learn from."  
  
Daisuke gazed at him blankly, and then shook his head. "Nobody's going to want to spend a week with me. Take it back." He pushed the envelope back towards the principal, but the old man shook his head.  
  
"There are many people here who would benefit from getting to know you better, Daisuke, and those you would benefit from in return. Take the chance you passed up on when you refused to be auctioned." With those words, the principal stood up and made his way slowly down the bleachers, leaving Daisuke with the envelope.  
  
A new item was brought up to the stage, this one in the form of one of the cheerleaders. There was a hoot from the crowd, and the auction began. Daisuke sat for several minutes, contemplating his options.  
  
//Someone I can talk to, someone I can learn from. Someone smart enough to know stuff, but dumb or nice enough to talk dumb so that I can understand.// He gazed out over the rest of the group waiting to be auctioned. There were people from his soccer team, from the basketball and football teams, and cheerleaders.  
  
//Someone -I- can feel comfortable with. Someone that maybe likes some of the things I do.// He rubbed at his stomach, hating the heavy feeling there. He didn't know any of those people very well, and he doubted that most of them liked cartoons and video games, and playing pranks on his sister. //Not to mention someone who has to face my family.// The world was looking bleaker by the second.  
  
The cheerleader was sold to one of the football players, and Daisuke watched as the next person was brought out. //Ken Ichijouji, huh? He's smart, plays soccer. He's pretty nice, as long as you're not between him and the ball.// He tilted his head and watched as the boy genius stood proudly on stage as the bidding started.  
  
//I could talk to him. He's sat beside me on the bus and let me talk to games before.// Acting on sudden impulse, Daisuke's arm shot into the air. Mimi Kido, the auctioneer, pointed at him. "How much, Daisuke?"  
  
Feeling stupid, for having bid and for not knowing the amount, Daisuke fumbled with the envelope and quickly counted out the contents. His voice was quiet with shock, and Mrs. Kido had to call to have him repeat it. "Seven hundred dollars," he called back.  
  
A hush fell over the gym, everyone turning to stare at him with looks as shocked as his own face. "Seven hundred dollars, going once, going twice...Sold, to Daisuke Motomiya. Dai, come up and get your player. Next up is-"  
  
He didn't hear the rest as he made his way down the bleachers and to the stage. Ken was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs, face unreadable as Daisuke approached.  
  
Together, they walked to the table set up at the side of the gym, and Daisuke handed the envelope and money to the treasurer of the Sports Club. "Thanks for the donation," Iori Hida said quietly, placing the envelope into the cashbox.   
  
Daisuke smiled at him wanely and then walked, with Ken in tow, to stand beside the bleachers. Coach Yagami grinned and clapped Daisuke on the back of the shoulder while he thanked the boy for his help in raising the money.  
  
The world seemed distant and surreal to Daisuke, and the only thing he could see clearly was Ken's face. While everyone else was a blur, he could see the other boy's features clearly every time he looked at him, and what he saw made his chest hurt.  
  
There was no disappointment in Ken's face, but there was nothing to indicate that he was pleased with the arrangement either. Ken's features were stiff and set, revealing nothing. When their eyes met, Ken didn't smile at him gently like he sometimes did; there was nothing friendly at all in his gaze, and Daisuke wondered bleakly just what he'd done.  
  
*****  
  
Matt Ishida- music teacher  
Tai Yagami- coach and phys ed teacher  
Joe Kido- science teacher  
Mimi Kido- home ec  
Izzy Izumi- computer and math teacher  
Sora Ishida- social studies teacher 


	2. Day One: Sunday

I'm glad everyone has liked it so far. The second part wrote itself a lot quicker than I would have thought, but I'm glad. This weekend is going to be a different story, though. I may not be able to get the third part out for a while. Not only do I have business training this weekend, but I have finals coming up and reports to write for the Uni.  
  
Out of lazyiness, I'm not going to change the form of italics I was using. I upload this to a journal first, and italics are marked like this /I. I'm leaving those in in stead of trying to find them all to change them to // like last chapter. Sorry if this confuses people.  
  
*grumbles* Damn html coding, anyway.   
  
*****  
  
The rules of the auction stated that the person 'bought' and the buyer had to spend twelve hours of seven days with each other. Because of school and classes, and such, the auction was held the Friday before Spring Break and each participant, those being the ones auctioned off, had to clear their schedule to allow for the guidelines.  
  
The actual time started on Sunday, the first 'official' day of Spring Break. After placing the winning bid on Ken and hiding in the corner of the gym by his coach, Daisuke hadn't actually seen his 'prize'. While that saved him some embarrassment at the time, it also meant that they never worked out a plan that would allow them to know when to meet up, where to hang out, and other details like that.  
  
That was the reason why Daisuke was pulled from his bed at nine o'clock Sunday morning by his older sister and shoved into the living room.   
  
"Jun, what're you doin'?" he mumbled, only semi-coherent as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and gazed around their living room blearily. He froze when he saw Ken Ichijouji sitting on his couch, watching them silently. Daisuke looked away, scratched the back of his head and then his bared belly, thankful that he had warn pajama pants to bed last night. Normally, he wore just underwear because Jun kept the thermostat on high, but the night before had been chilly enough to warrant actual pajamas.  
  
Ken stood up. "I didn't mean to wake you up, but we never discussed on Friday what time I should arrive."  
  
"Yeah," Daisuke nodded. "It's cool." he looked away from Ken in the hopes that his brain would come up with something intelligent to say. Instead, his stomach growled. "Have you eaten?" he asked Ken.  
  
"Yes. I ate before I came this morning," answered Ken emotionlessly.   
  
"I don't have to worry about feeding you this week, do I?" Daisuke asked, wishing he'd thought of such a thing before. In truth, he'd been trying since Friday not to think about it at all.  
  
The other boy shook his head. "I'm quite capable of caring for myself."  
  
"Oh," Daisuke said intelligently. "But I -can- feed you, right?"  
  
"If you wish." Ken's gaze was steady on Daisuke's face, making the brown-haired boy uncomfortable.  
  
Daisuke shifted uneasily and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm going to go have breakfast," he announced, feeling stupid and inadequate.  
  
"Of course," Ken agreed as he sat back down on the couch. Daisuke looked at him a moment longer, and then turned and fled the room. He found Jun sitting in the kitchen.  
  
"So, what's up with your friend?" she asked, not looking up from the newspaper she was holding.  
  
"I bought him at the auction the other day. He's going to be hanging around until Saturday night." Seven days of stress was not something Daisuke wanted for his Spring Break. II can't believe I'm such an idiot. I should have kept my mouth shut and given the money to the club afterwards.I/  
  
"So you left him alone in the living room?" his sister asked, finally glancing at him over her paper. "I did not drag you out of bed so that you could be an idiot, Daisuke. He's our guest. Go give him a tour of the house and then bring him back in here to meet me."  
  
Daisuke sighed as Jun returned to her paper. He knew better than to argue with her, however. If he didn't do as she said, she'd buy all the foods he didn't like, and he'd be hungry for a week afterwards. Such was life when you lived with a control freak who was in charge of buying your food.  
  
He returned to the living room to find Ken sitting on the same spot on the couch. "I'll show you around," Daisuke said softly, trying not to sound as put-out as he felt. It wasn't fair. He hadn't asked Ken to come by before breakfast, and now he had to wait until the tour was over and he had Jun's approval before he could get himself something to eat.  
  
IBut if he waited until the time I normally had breakfast, he wouldn't have gotten here before noon, and then he wouldn't be going home until after midnight and Jun wouldn't have let him walk home, so he would have had to stay the night, and then he might as well stay for the few hours in the morning, and I'd be stuck with him for twenty-four hours, instead of twelve. All day, every day.I/  
  
The house Daisuke shared with his sister was small and it only took a minute to point out all the rooms to Ken. Two bedrooms, one bath, one kitchen, the living room, the door to the basement and the one to the attic. "The attic is pretty cool. You can climb through the window and sit on the roof."  
  
Ken made a considering sound, but didn't look impressed. His face was as impassive as ever. Daisuke decided to talk around his feelings, knowing that if he just talked long enough, he'd eventually forget how stupid he felt talking like an idiot.  
  
"My room is where we'll probably hang out at most. My video games are in there, and so are my movies, and the computer. Jun won't be around much the rest of the week, but she's here today, and she'll be here in the evenings."  
  
Blue eyes scanned Daisuke's room quickly, and then came back to rest on him. "What do you want me to do?" Ken asked.  
  
Daisuke blinked at him. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Do you want me to clean? Do your chores? Do your homework?" Ken listed a few things he could do, and then paused to wait for Daisuke to understand.  
  
"Oh." Daisuke scratched the back of his head, the action an outwards sign of his inward uncertainty. "I don't know?" he answered questioningly. He tilted his head and shrugged. "I didn't think that far ahead," he admitted, smiling self-conciously.  
  
"Why did you spend that much money if you didn't know what you were going to have me do?" Ken asked, for the first time showing some emotion, even if it seemed to be anger. His eyes were hard and his lips were compressed in a thin line.  
  
"I wasn't going to buy anyone, and I certainly wasn't going to spend that much money, but Principal Gennai said I should, or something like that, and you're nice, so I didn't think you'd be too mad that you're stuck with me." Daisuke heaved a disgusted sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "You want your orders for the week, or whatever? Pretend I'm your friend and that you'd rather be nowhere else. Or, if that's too hard, at least pretend that being stuck with me is something a little better than hell or death."  
  
IStupid, Daisuke. Stupid, stupid stupid!I/ Chased by his own internal monologue, Daisuke strode forward and flung open the doors of his closet. He drew out an outfit, and then turned on his heel and stalked to the bathroom, shutting the door forcefully and turning the lock. IOh, yeah, that's good. You can't lock yourself out, dummy. Now you're stuck in a quiet room with yourself, and Ken thinks you're an even bigger idiot than he probably did before.I/  
  
*****  
  
Once he was dressed, Daisuke left the bathroom to find Ken. To his surprise, and eventual chagrin, he found the other boy trapped in the kitchen with a glaring Jun between him and the door.  
  
"Jun, what are you doing, you psycho?" he asked his sister as he leaned against the doorframe casually. The time in the bathroom had done him some good in allowing him to talk himself out of his earlier bad mood. He felt a little more alive, and a more ready to take on the world, even a world that included his crazy sister and the guy he was stuck with for a week.  
  
His sister spared him a glance over her shoulder and then turned back to her appointed task, which seemed to be cutting Ken's hair, if the scissors in her hands was any indication. "His hair's too long," his sister informed him, holding the sharp implement up high. "He says he doesn't like it when his mother tells him to cut it, so I figured I'd help him out a bit."  
  
"Jun, he's going to be here every day for the next week. If you cut his hair, he's likely going to take revenge, and since he's a genius, he'll probably end up making you suffer ten kinds of torture. If I were you, I'd put the scissors down and step back slowly."  
  
"A genius, huh?" Jun asked, looking at Ken speculatively.  
  
Ken's expression changed from one of shocked horror to contemplation. "Yes," he answered in Daisuke's stead, voice calm. The sudden change caused Jun to step back and Daisuke to straighten.  
  
"Are you telling me that I should be afraid of a fifteen year old kid with hair like a girl?" Jun asked, trying in vain to make up for the momentary loss in control.  
  
"Only if you're smart enough to realize that age is relative," was Ken's cool response. Daisuke grinned as he watched his sister falter. He'd never seen anyone manage to throw her, least of all any of the people his age.   
  
"Good answer," Jun said, placing the scissors deliberately on the table. "I'm off for the afternoon, Dai. Don't wreck the house, don't answer the phone if Mom and Dad call, and don't incite your little friend here to kill you."  
  
"I promise not to try to cut his hair," Daisuke said seriously, moving out of the doorway so his sister could get past. His gaze returned to rest on Ken as his sister left, but neither spoke until after the front door had shut. "Sorry about her. She's insane, but likeable. Sometimes. I mean, she's always insane, but sometimes she's likeable."  
  
Ken smiled. "I understand." He leaned back against the counter Jun had had him pressed against and crossed his arms. "What's on the agenda today?"  
  
"I, um." Daisuke was at a loss for words. Something he had said to Ken earlier had obviously made an impact, but he hadn't expected this sudden change from little-more-than-strangers to friends, and he was disconcerted by the rapid alteration in their relationship.  
  
"Why don't we go play soccer?" Ken suggested helpfully. He waved a hand at Daisuke's outfit. "You're dressed for a day outdoors, and I saw the soccer ball in your room. We can head down to the field and play one-on-one."  
  
Daisuke stared at him for a moment and then grinned. "You're on! I'm going to wipe the field with you, Rocket!"  
  
"I'd like to see you try," Ken murmured in response. Daisuke had already disappeared, presumably in order to get his soccer ball. Ken frowned and glanced down at the scissors on the table.   
  
The brunet returned in moments and held up the soccer ball. "First one there gets to pick his net!" Without waiting for Ken to respond, Daisuke ran for the door. Ken caught up with him in seconds, and then Daisuke lost time while he locked the front door. "Cheater! You have to wait while I lock the door!"  
  
"That wasn't in the rules!" Ken called back, even though he paushed. He'd made it partway down the sidewalk and almost to the curb. He did wait, though, just long enough for Daisuke to catch up and the race to begin in earnest. 


	3. Day One: Sunday Continues

*growls* This was supposed to be the second half of the second chapter. (shows how well I proofread it). Instead of reposting the last chapter, I'm just adding this as another. I didn't realize it until I logged in today, or I -would- have fixed it sooner. Sorry.  
  
Thanks to all my lovely reviewers so far!  
  
*****  
  
Unfortunately, they couldn't play soccer for eleven hours. By noon, they were sweatty and breathless, and ready to leave the field for someplace else.   
  
"What do you want for lunch?" Daisuke asked from his place on the ground. He had finally conceded defeat to Ken, but only after losing fifty points to two. He had dropped to the ground in half-feigned fatigue and had refused to budge until Ken promised him a rematch, and now that the other had agreed to allow him a chance to redeem his honor, Daisuke had decided that food was a good idea.   
  
Ken shrugged. "I don't care. Whatever you want to eat. I don't have any money, though, so we have to go to your place, or mine."   
  
The brunet sat up with a yawn. "Back to the house. I forgot that Jun was going to go visit a friend of hers today, so she won't be home until later-later tonight. I have to let the cats in and feed the dogs."   
  
"You have dogs?" Ken asked. Daisuke frowned up at him, hearing the odd tenor of the other boy's words.   
  
"Yeah. Why?" Daisuke asked.   
  
"We've never been allowed to have pets. We've always lived in apartments where they weren't allowed." There was a wistful quality in Ken's voice, and Daisuke felt himself more drawn to him than he'd ever been to anyone. It disappeared quickly, though, shuttered behind Ken's realization that he may have revealed too much.   
  
Daisuke rolled to his feet, dusted off the back of his pants, and then waved an arm in the general direction of his house. "Come on, then. I'll introduce you to Worm and Vee, and the rest of the animals that Jun feeds."   
  
*****   
  
"Why 'Worm'?" asked Ken. He was sitting on the back porch of the house, scratching behind the ear of a pug-nosed dog.   
  
"When he showed up on our doorstep, he had worms," Daisuke explained briefly. He was seated next to Ken, but the dog he was petting was too big to fit onto his lap. The large Doberman was sitting two steps below them and leaning on the brunet's legs.   
  
"And why 'Vee'?"   
  
Daisuke laughed. "The guy that dropped him off hear had named him Vernon, and I absolutely -refused- to torture any dog by calling it that. He came to 'Vee', well enough, I think because that's what his name started with, and it just stuck." The dog in question raised his head, gave Ken a dubious glare, and placed his head on Dai's knees in a silent request for his ears to be scratched.   
  
They were silent for a couple of minutes. Lunch had been postponed in leiu of Ken meeting the assorted animals that Jun took in. She had a habit of bringing home strays, and so the backyard was littered with fences and carrying cases, and dog pens.   
  
"Vee is obviously yours," Ken noted. "So that must mean that Worm belongs to Jun."   
  
"Actually, no," Daisuke corrected. "He always growls at Jun, and he generall doesn't like to be petted by anyone but me, and that's only when Vee is around. I think his last owner hurt him, and Vee is kind of his protector." he grinned and reached over to pet the top of the little pug's nose. "He likes you, though, so I guess that makes him yours."   
  
And I guess that solves the problem of what you're going to do for the week, Daisuke thought to himself. //Note to self: when Ken looks bored, let Worm into the house.// Maybe, if he was lucky, the week wouldn't seem so long after all. 


	4. Day Two: Monday

Yes, it's an AU. And despite a preference for some of the Japanese names, this is set in an American high school. Dai is a sophomore, Ken is a junior (for brains, not age). The rest fall in there somewhere, except Iori, who's a freshman (poor guy).  
  
And we're back to // for thoughts. I realized that ff.net did something funny with the I, so.... (shrugs*)   
  
Damn html coding (again!)  
  
*****  
  
Sunday was more of a success than Daisuke could have dreamed, and so he woke up on Monday with high hopes for another fun day of soccer, video games, and watching Ken play with Worm and Vee.   
  
More grudgingly, he had to admit that Ken wasn't half as bad as he had begun to fear on Friday. The contact he'd had with the genius was limited, but Ken's attitude before the hair incident had seemed stand-offish at best. However, Daisuke had been introduced to a side of Ken he had never expected, and he liked what he'd seen so far. He could be friends with someone like that, very easily.  
  
Jun had spent the night at whoever's house she had gone visiting, so it was up to Daisuke to answer the door to Ken's knock. He opened it and grinned at the boy standing on the stoop. "Did you have breakfast yet?" he asked.  
  
Ken blinked at him, looked at his watch, and then looked back at Daisuke. "You're awake, dressed, and ready for breakfast, and it's only eight o'clock?" ken said questioningly, frowning in mock-confusion.  
  
Daisuke grinned. "I set my alarm to get up. Since I actually -knew- what time you were stopping by today, I could get ready," Daisuke said primly. The effect was ruined by his wide, impish grin. "Get in here," he commanded, stepping back and holding the door open for Ken.  
  
"Yes, sir," Ken saluted Daisuke as he complied and stepped into the house. He slipped his shoes off and then followed Daisuke to the kitchen. "I already ate, by the way," he told Daisuke in answer to the question he'd been greeted with.  
  
"Ah, too bad. I would have introduced you to the Daisuke skillet."  
  
"Daisuke skillet? Sounds ominous," Ken replied, taking a seat at the table as Daisuke scavenged in the fridge. The brunet turned to glare at him, lips twitching.  
  
"I know what that means," Daisuke said darkly.  
  
"I figured you did," Ken responded, smiling.   
  
The brunet paused. "Did you really?" he asked seriously.  
  
It was Ken's turn to hesitate. "Did I really what?"  
  
"Really think I knew?" He turned to face Ken fully, intent on getting an answer.  
  
The genius blinked in confusion, but nodded. "Yeah. Why wouldn't you?"  
  
Daisuke shrugged and turned back to the fridge. "Because I'm an idiot," he said simply, as if stating a well-known fact. "Do you know why I didn't want to take part in the auction?" he asked as he pulled a plastic-wrapped plate from the fridge.  
  
"No," Ken answered. "Why?"  
  
"I had a dream last Monday that the auction was taking place. Kari was doing the calling thing that Mrs. Kido did, where she hollers out all the bids. It came to be my turn, and she started the bidding, but nobody said anything, so she lowers the starting bid to a penny, and says something like 'take pity on this loser and get him off the stage, only a penny', and still no one says anything. And in the end, I get booed off the stage."  
  
Ken grimaced in sympathy, but the look was lost to Daisuke, who kept his back to Ken as he warmed the plate of food.  
  
"I'm not a bad guy, really," Daisuke continued, head tilted forward so that Ken had a perfect view of the back of his neck. "I just tend to be more than most people can handle. Jun's my sister, and some days even she has to tell me to get out of the house and leave her in peace."  
  
"Daisuke," Ken started to speak, but Daisuke spun around and raised a hand, warding away any of the words the genius would have spoken.  
  
"Don't. I don't need your sympathy, or anything like that, Ken. I just..." he trailed off and sighed. "I just didn't want yet another person this week wishing they could be rid of me. I get enough of that. I guess... I was hoping that if I told you, you'd understand, and maybe you'd try? Or something like that." He rolled his eyes, scratched the back of his head, and turned back to the microwave in time to push the stop button before the bell dinged.  
  
He took the plate to the table and took the chair across from Ken. As intent as he seemed on his food, Ken was surprised to be caught staring at him when Daisuke looked up.   
  
"Want some?" the brunet offered, holding out a forkful of food.  
  
"I'm fine, thanks," Ken said with a shake of his head. He looked away, feeling heat rush to his cheeks at being discovered. His eyes bounced over the walls, and the odd pattern on the wallpaper, but inadvertently went back to Daisuke as soon as Ken thought the other boy was immersed in his food. The second time he was caught, Daisuke didn't even bother to glance up from his food.  
  
"Man, I don't have horns, or two heads. Despite the fact that my goggles aren't present, there's nothing remotely interesting in staring at me."  
  
"Sorry," Ken was quick to apologize. Realizing that he felt uncomfortable and that sitting and doing nothing would do nothing to alleviate that condition, Ken asked the first question that popped into his head. "What's the story behind the goggles?"  
  
Daisuke had just taken a bit of food, and so it took him a few seconds of chewing before he could utter a response. "Coach Yagami used to go to school with my sister, and when I was ten or eleven he gave them to me. And since he's my hero..." Dai shrugged. "It's a good look on me."  
  
The grin that Daisuke flashed him was full of brass, and more at place in Ken's data-base characterization of the boy across from him. He had little-to-no experience dealing with Daisuke personally, but he had seen the boy interact with other people, and what he had seen had lead him to believe that Daisuke was nothing more than a simple-minded annoyance. An annoyance might be close, as even Daisuke agreed with that, but simple-minded could be ruled out. Daisuke had proved himself to be perceptive that morning, and Ken doubted that it was a fluke.  
  
"You've known Coach Yagami a long time, then," Ken finally said, having considered carefully what part of Daisuke's answer he would respond to. "Is that why those rumors went around last year when you made the varsity team?"  
  
Daisuke's gaze hardened. "I didn't get on the team because I knew him."  
  
"I didn't say you did," Ken shot back just as coldly. He took a deep breath to stave off the defensiveness he could feel rising, though why he should be on the defensive, he didn't know. "I played on your team last year, Daisuke. Remember? You were on that team because you could play better than most of the juniors and seniors. If it had been any other way, I personally would have been writing to the school board."  
  
Daisuke's scowl slipped into a sincere smile. "Thank you."  
  
^*^*^*^*^  
  
"And he takes the pass out and... score!" Daisuke cheered, throwing his arms up victoriously. Half a yard away, nestled between a brown-nosed pug and a big black mutt that Daisuke claimed to be Doberman, Ken smiled slightly.  
  
If the brunet minded at all that he was playing by himself, he didn't let on at all, seemingly content to chase himself around his rather expansive back yard. Ken had been surprised the day before when Daisuke had pointed out the boundaries of the property his sister owned.  
  
"It belonged to an uncle who moved here decades ago. He left it to my parents, but they were happy to stay in Japan. When my father lost his job, and Mom had to start working, we moved into this shoe-box apartment. Jun had moved here a couple of years before that, and it didn't take too much for her to convince our parents that I should follow her out." Daisuke had recounted that Sunday evening, shortly before Ken left.  
  
A little less than a full day later, Ken watched as Daisuke played soccer against imaginary opponents. When Ken had asked if Daisuke wanted him to play, the brunet had grinned and pointed at Worm. "Play with the little guy," he had instructed, already jogging away from the house. Ken had done as told, content to enjoy the company of animals and contemplate the enigma he was uncovering in his host.  
  
It was easy to see why some people couldn't handle being around Daisuke for very long. He never sat still, and when he was sitting, his mouth was running about anything and everything. At any point in time, -something- was moving, making noise, attracting attention.  
  
On sudden impulse, Ken stood up, patting Worm's head gently to show that nothing was wrong. Daisuke froze as Ken stepped off the porch, intention clear in the challenging smirk on the genius' face. "Ready to play against a real opponent?"  
  
Daisuke kicked the ball into the air, caught it, and tucked it under his arm, assuming a confident pose as he did so. "Think you can handle this, Ichijouji? Because from where I'm standing, playing against you is just like playing alone."  
  
Ken raised one eyebrow. "You're on, Motomiya." He had six days to give in to the urge to be a child again. That was an option that he had never considered when he signed up. He had figured he'd have to play another role for someone else, just another persona added on top of the ones that were already there.  
  
However, with Daisuke, he was discovering that the only person he had to be was himself.  
  
*****  
  
"Hm... pizza? Or tacos? Hamburgers? Or roast beef? Spaghetti? Or fre-" Ken clamped a hand over Daisuke's mouth to stop the list of possible lunch items to continue.  
  
"Unless you can magically produce a car and a license to operate it, our options are limited to greasy hamburgers and fries, or something nearing edible at the place down the street. Everything else is across town. However, if you -want- to walk two miles to have tacos, or something else, we can do that, too," he amended, remembering that he was at Daisuke's disposal for the week, and whatever the brunet wanted, with some exceptions, Ken had to give, even time and energy enough to walk for an hour just to get food.  
  
"Nah," Daisuke shook his head. He glanced up and down the street, looking from the fast-food place to the restaurant and back, until Ken wondered if the boy was seeing a tennis match in his head. With Daisuke, one never knew. "Come on!" the brunet said suddenly, grabbing Ken's hand without thinking and pulling the taller boy with him. Ken had little choice but to follow, as Daisuke's grip was firm and Ken had no desire to create a scene by yanking his hand away.  
  
"Where are we going?" he asked as Daisuke's impulse took them away from both eateries.  
  
Daisuke didn't answer him, at least not immediately. They turned a couple of corners quickly, and then Daisuke cut across the yard of a two-story house that had been split into apartment's. Daisuke picked apartment B to knock on, letting go of Ken's hand in the process. There was a long pause, and Ken was about to suggest that whoever it was wasn't home, when there was the sound of a loud crash just inside, and then the door opened.  
  
"Hello? Oh! Konnichi wa, Motomiya-kun! Ichijouji-kun? Ah, good afternoon. This is a surprise." It was for Ken, too. He hadn't expected Daisuke to lead him to a teacher's house, and definitely not the one belonging to the science teacher.  
  
"Hey, Mr. Kido! Is your wife here?" Daisuke asked, grinning. The man smiled back a little uncertainly and pushed a pair of thin reading glasses back up the bride of his nose.  
  
"Daisuke!" a feminine voice called, confirming that, yes, Mrs. Kido was home. The woman shoved her husband aside lovingly in favor of squeezing Daisuke into a hug. She pulled back after what Ken thought must have been too long for a formal hug, and smiled at the brunet. "And Dai, you know you can call me Mimi when we're not in school." Then her eyes went to Ken. "Ken! This is a surprise! Oh, wait, it's not." She said the last to herself, eyes blink wide as she seemed to recall the auction. "Oh, well. What can we do for you boys?"  
  
"Food," Daisuke answered simply, earning a blank look from Mimi and a smirk from Ken, who decided to elaborate before she sent them out prepackaged foods for a can-drive.  
  
"We were trying to decide what to have for lunch, and Daisuke's stomach lead us here," Ken said, smiling politely. "I didn't realize he was going to interrupt you and your own meal, and I'm sorry, Mrs. Kido."  
  
"Dude, stuff it," Daisuke said, frowning at Ken.  
  
Mimi smiled through it all. "Daisuke, don't be rude. Ken, don't be silly. We're actually all outside, and Matt's cooking, but you're welcome to round the numbers out to ten."  
  
"Kari's here?" Daisuke asked, eyes widening. There was a small flash of hope, then dread, and then it all disappeared in a cloud of -something- Ken couldn't identify readily. "And TK?"  
  
"They spent the night with their brothers," Jyou answered. "Come on, Mimi. You told Sora you'd get the potato salad out there in time to eat it with everything else."  
  
"Yes, dear," she replied turning to walk back in the house. "Dai, just take Ken through the connecting door and out through Tai's place; he won't mind. And maybe you'll manage to pull Izzy away from his computer."  
  
"Alright," Daisuke agreed, watching as the couple disappeared into the kitchen. He waved Ken inside, shut the door, and immediately turned to what Ken had thought was a closet. It opened easily, and Ken blinked when he realized that it connected to the next apartment. The brunet seemed comfortable with his surroundings, and so Ken followed after him. The difference between the two apartments was seen easily, even with just a small impression of the first: where the Kido's place had seemed to exude neatness and order, the one that belonged to these occupants was littered with memorabilia, books, and computer stuff, all of it strewn about and piled incongrously as if stuff just stayed whereever it was first set down. "Hey, Mr. Izumi! Mimi says to pull your nose out of the screen!" Daisuke called.  
  
"I tried that," a deep voice said. Coach Yagami's head appeared around a doorway. "Go on ahead outside, Dai. I'm assuming you're here to eat?"  
  
"Of course! But first, Mimi said that I should try to pull Izzy away from the computer."  
  
The older brunet grinned. "He's away from the computer, trust me," he said, running a hand through his already disheveled hair.  
  
"I didn't hear that!" Daisuke clamped his hands over his ears teasingly. "Dude, it's the middle of the day!"  
  
"What can I say? The timing was too perfect to pass up?" He grinned and then yelped again as he was pulled forcibly back into the room. The door shut loudly.  
  
Daisuke laughed. "People," he muttered, shaking his head. He looked at Ken, and then paused, noticing the flush that was creeping up the taller boy's cheeks. "Ken? You okay?"  
  
"Fine," Ken answered, looking away. "Aren't we supposed to be outside?" he asked, hoping to turn Daisuke's attention away from him.  
  
"Yeah," Daisuke said softly, giving Ken one more scrutinizing glance before leading the way outside. The backyard for the apartments wasn't near as impressive as Daisuke's and Jun's, but it was more than Ken and his parents had in their apartment. "Sora!" Daisuke called. The woman in charge of the grill turned around and smiled as Daisuke ran towards her. " What are you cooking?"  
  
Ken followed more slowly.  
  
*****  
  
Eight thirty saw the boys barely heading home, the sun rapidly disappearing from the sky. Daisuke was talking enthusiastically, as he had all day, as Ken followed along beside him, more lost in his thoughts than aware of his surroundings. The brunet's voice was a soothing background hum that the taller boy was able to ignore the words, at least until Daisuke put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from taking another step.  
  
Ken looked up and blinked, and Daisuke grinned back. "Dude, okay, so I don't mind being ignored because everyone does it, but it's after eight, and unless you're spending the night, which would be cool but I'd have to ask Jun, you probably should walk the other way. And if you do spend the night, that's cool, but my clothes aren't going to fit you right."  
  
Daisuke had stopped them in front of his house. Ken looked down at his watch and then at the darkening sky. By the time he was halfway home, it would be dark out, and his mother would never forgive him for worrying her like that. "Would it be possible to call home and ask for a ride?" he asked Daisuke. Better to ask his mom to come get him than to walk home by himself in the dark.  
  
"Are you afraid of the dark?" Daisuke asked, head tilted to the side. Sensing that Daisuke was asking only so that he could tease him, Ken shook his head before he replied.  
  
"My mother is, though. She hates it when I walk home in the dark. If I start now, it will still be full-dark before I get home."  
  
"Ah," Daisuke murmured with a nod. "You can spend the night," Daisuke suggest softly, already heading up the front walk to the door. Ken looked at him for a moment, surprised, before following.  
  
"Spend the night?" he repeated. Daisuke shrugged, shoulders lifting as he unlocked the front door.  
  
"Yeah. Think about it. You could be out of the house by noon, and you wouldn't have to be stuck with me all day."  
  
"I don't think it works that way," Ken argued, though he wondered why. It could work that way. Midnight to noon would be the requisite twelve hours. Or, he could leave at eight in the morning and come back at eight at night, and he'd still have his twelve hours in for the day. It had possibility.  
  
"Think about it, dude. If I say that for the week, what I wanted was for us to be buds, then we just say that's what friends do. They have sleep-overs and stuff. Or something. Jun used to do it ages ago."  
  
'Jun used to do it', which implied that Daisuke never had. Ken looked closer at the lines of tension in Daisuke's back and shoulders, noticing the stiff way he held himself as he opened the door and waved Ken inside.  
  
Instead of rejecting Daisuke's offer, Ken commented quietly, "I have no clean clothes."  
  
"I can lend you some of mine!" Daisuke said quickly, eyes wide and rather hopeful when he turned to stare at Ken and wait for the taller boy's answer.  
  
"I'll ask my mother," Ken said with a nod. Daisuke practically shoved the phone into Ken's arms before taking off into the recesses of the house in search of Jun and her approval. Ken smiled. His answer had been cinched when he decided that it wouldn't do to make miserable the person who paid seven hundred dollars for his company. It didn't hurt that making Daisuke smile left a pleasant, fluttery feeling in the pit of his stomach, or that the thought of seeing rejection on that same face left him feeling sick.  
  
It was an odd mix of emotions, something he'd never had to deal with in relation to another person for a very long time. Not since-  
  
"Ken, Jun says you can stay!" Daisuke hollered cheerfully, interrupting Ken's train of thought. "Have you called your Mom? Is it okay?" The brunet came charging down the hallway and skidded to a halt in front of Ken. "Dude, have you even -dialed- yet?"  
  
"I was thinking." The excuse came easily. To dispell further conversation, at least for the moment, Ken made his phone call. Daisuke hung over his shoulder while he explained the situation to his mother and asked for her permission to spend the night. She agreed easily, and the phone call was concluded in under four minutes and only one admonition for Ken to brush his teeth.  
  
"Cool!" Daisuke punched the air, and then headed back towards his room. "I'll get the sleeping bags out, and we'll have to hook the VCR back up for movies and stuff. You can have the bed, but you have to deal with Vee, too, most likely. I used to think he wanted to sleep with me, and then I discovered he just liked my pillow."  
  
"The dogs come in at night?" Ken asked, surprised.  
  
"Yeah." Daisuke turned the overhead light on, then walked further into the room to turn the lamp on the nightstand on as well. "I also listen to music. I used it to replace the city-noises when I moved here, and now it's just..." he shrugged.  
  
"One habit to replace another," Ken filled in.  
  
"Exactly. So, yeah. Dogs, music, and snoring. Anything I should be aware of?" he asked Ken.   
  
Ken shook his head, even as he swallowed hard. Daisuke accepted the first motion as an answer. He skipped out of the room and returned a moment later with a rolled sleeping bag which he quickly spread on the ground.  
  
"Okay, so. The twelve hours of today are up, and that's it, if you want, or if not, we can play games or watch movies, or whatever. It's been a long day, and if you're tired, we can go to bed now, or-"  
  
"What movies do you have?" Ken broke in, sitting on the edge of Daisuke's bed.  
  
Ken watched as Daisuke pulled a long, oblong box from under his bed. "What movies do I -not- have?" Daisuke asked, opening the flaps of the box. "These are the comedies. There's a box of thrillers, a box of action, a box of anime and cartoon mixed, and then there's the romantic movies that I refuse to watch. They belong to Jun."  
  
"A comedy would be good," Ken said, glancing at the titles he could read on the side of the tapes. "That one?" he pointed to a random movie. Daisuke grinned and took it out.  
  
"I love this movie. Especially the part where-" he stopped and looked at Ken. "Have you seen it yet?"  
  
Ken shook his head. "No."  
  
"Then I won't ruin it." The television and VCR were turned on, and the movie was shoved, rather forcibly, into the player. "I'll going to get some popcorn," Daisuke announced, standing up. "What do you want to drink?"  
  
"Whatever you're having," Ken requested. He watched as Daisuke ran from the room.  
  
Five days until they could go their separate ways and never have to deal with each other again. Five days of being friends with someone nicknamed 'the friendless wonder' behind his back. Five days of Ken learning to be something he'd never been.   
  
Ken sighed. He had a bad feeling that he wouldn't be walking away with a friend in five days. He might be lucky if he made it out with his heart intact. 


	5. Day Three: Too Damn Early, Tuesday Morni...

It was almost one in the morning when the last movie of the night stopped. Daisuke was asleep on the floor, drooling into a pillow and breathing loudly. It wasn't a snore, but the volume nearly made up for it.  
  
Ken was still awake, and so he stood up and turned the television and tape player off. Abruptly, darkness settled over the room. Not knowing where exactly the lamp was in relation to himself, Ken chose the safest option and headed in the direction of the bed. He found it and crawled on top of the blankets while he waited for his eyes to adjust to the dark.   
  
Eventually, he could see the vague outline of shapes. On the floor, Daisuke shifted, and rolled onto his side. The heavy breathing changed to softer snoring. Vee shifted, one large paw bumping Ken on the head as the large dog tried to get more comfortable on the pillow. Worm was sleeping curled against the larger dog, and both animals were hogging all of the top of the bed, leaving Ken with no pillow and his only option of covering to be to pull the blankets up from the foot of the bed.  
  
He closed his eyes, feeling the silence take over. Daisuke had said that he listened to music, but there was no one to turn the radio on when the brunet fell asleep. Now Ken was stuck in a strange room in the dark, with only his mind to occupy him and the sound of Daisuke's snoring to distract him from the normal night-noises that came with houses: boards shifting, window panes rattling, dogs from elsewhere in the neighborhood barking.  
  
When Daisuke had asked him the day before if he had any odd night habits, Ken had lied and told him 'no'. He hadn't wanted to admit to Daisuke, who had seemed ready to tease him already, that he -was- afraid of the dark. Or, rather, the things that could hide in the dark. Ken had woken to too many nightmares of his brother coming for him from the shadows to feel comfortable without some form of light.  
  
If he'd been thinking, he would have left the television on for light. Daisuke wouldn't have had to know that Ken had been awake to turn it off.  
  
After squeezing his eyes shut and listening to the sound of his own heart beating rapidly in his chest, Daisuke got out of bed again, intending to turn the television on to chase the shadows away. Somehow, instead, he found himself kneeling beside Daisuke's sleeping form.  
  
Without giving his mind a chance to register his actions, or their possible cause, Ken stretched out beside Daisuke so that they were face to face, and he could see the other boy's face, even in the shadows. He closed his eyes and waited for the oppressive feeling of the dark to overwhelm him again, but it didn't happen.  
  
A short while later, he was asleep, left arm under his head as a pillow, his right hand resting on the floor between him and Daisuke. He didn't wake up when Daisuke tried to roll back onto his stomach, nor did he wake up when the brunet's movement pushed Ken onto his back, Daisuke lying half on top of him. And he didn't wake up hours later, when the brunet carefully disenganged himself from their sleep-caused tangle of limbs in search of the bathroom and breakfast. 


	6. Day Three: Tuesday

Daisuke stalked quietly out of the kitchen, two full plates of food in hand. Jun had told him on pain of death that he wasn't to touch the food she'd cooked until after she'd gotten out of the shower. However, knowing that his sister tended to take hour-long showers and that the food would be cold by the time she got around to getting out, he had decided his stomach won out over his life.  
  
His guest was still sleeping on the floor, one arm curled around the pillow the brunet had used the night before, the other flung out over the spot Daisuke had vacated only thirty minutes ago. Since then, he had managed to annoy Jun, put the dogs outside, and take a shower.  
  
With a grin, Daisuke set the plates on his desk and squatted down by Ken, then leaned down until his face hovered right over Ken's. "Wake up!" he yelled loudly.  
  
Ken startled awake and moved to sat up, an action that cracked his forehead against Daisuke's. "Ow!"  
  
Daisuke made a similar sound of pain and fell to his side. "Dude, remind me never to do that again," he said complainingly, rubbing his forehead.  
  
"You shouldn't have done it in the first place," Ken said sharply, moving once again to sit up. This time he managed it without incident. It took him a moment to remember why he was laying on the floor, and a moment longer to realize that Daisuke had to have noticed. He closed his eyes, feeling his cheeks flame.  
  
There was the sound of rustling cloth as Daisuke stood back up. "I've got food, Dude. And I didn't cook it, so no cracks about taking your life into your hands, or anything."  
  
Ken looked up in time to avoid being hit on the head with a plate. He grabbed it automatically and watched as Daisuke resettled on the floor with his own plate. There was a moment's pause as Ken waited for the question that didn't come, followed by another as he scanned his plate for signs of recognizable food substances. "What is it?"  
  
"Mm?" Daisuke mumbled around a bite of food. He politely chewed until it was gone before speaking. "It's like a scrambled omelet. Eggs, cheese, and whatever kind of meat we have in the fridge that will work. I think it's hot dogs today."  
  
"Hot dogs?" Ken parroted, picking out a slice of pink meat.  
  
"Don't complain until you've tried it. It's what I call the Daisuke Skillet, except that I didn't make it, and it doesn't have potatoes and onions. And Jun doesn't salt anything, so I had to add that and pepper."  
  
Blue eyes stared at the food a moment longer as Ken weighed how hungry he was with how doubtful he was about the food. He jerked back suddenly when Daisuke held a forkful to his mouth.  
  
"Ken, just try it. If you don't like it, I'll go make your anorexic little self some toast, okay?"  
  
"I'm not-" Ken started, only to be cut off by the fork and food coming dangerously close to being shoved down his throat. He took a bite, mostly to keep from being stabbed than any thing. Daisuke waited, eyebrow raised, for his reaction. "It's edible," Ken said slowly, when he'd swallowed.  
  
"Edible, he says." Daisuke snorted and grinned. "You know you like it. But if it makes you feel better, I'll tell Jun you refused to eat it."  
  
"That... won't be necessary," Ken declined, offering a small smile of his own. "Thank you."  
  
"No problem. Just hurry up and eat so we can figure out what we're doing today." There seemed something else he wanted to say, but he began to shovel food into his mouth instead, leaving Ken to eat his food at a much slower pace and wonder.  
  
*****  
  
"Do you want a ride home, Ken?" Jun asked a while later, when the boys finally made it out of Daisuke's bedroom, plates in hand. According to the clock on the wall, it was really only twenty-five after seven. Ken looked at the clock for a moment and tried to figure out why Daisuke was up so early. It was spring break, and Ken had expected Daisuke to sleep in during their vacation as he had on Sunday.  
  
Daisuke was obviously full of surprises.  
  
"No thank you," Ken declined softly. Daisuke was standing at the sink, his back to the room as he washed the breakfast dishes. The brunet had seemed to tense when Jun had made the offer, and Ken watched Daisuke's back for signs of surprise or relief as he spoke. "I thought I'd stay here and see what Daisuke wanted to do for the afternoon."  
  
As it turned out, Ken didn't have to read the 'signs' in Daisuke's back: the brunet spun around when Ken said he planned on staying for a bit, brown eyes wide. Surprise warred with something else that could have been joy, and then Daisuke had turned back to the sink and was washing dishes once again, this time dancing to the beat in his head.  
  
This time, the pleasant, fluttery feeling in Ken's stomach was more noticeable, and he put a hand to his abdomen as he stared at the brunet's back. A small smile curved his own lips and the feeling seemed to spread.  
  
*****  
  
"Oi, Vee, don't lick my toes!" Daisuke groaned in disgust as he pulled his foot up and held it away from his overly affectionate pet. Ken laughed and watched as the animal in question turned its sad-eyed gaze up to its owner. "And don't give me that look. You should be happy that I don't let you lick my toes. You don't know where my feet have been."  
  
"I do, and I wouldn't lick your toes," Ken said, chortling gleefully at the dark look the brunet sent his way. Daisuke opened his mouth to retort, lowering his foot without realizing it, and his comment was left unsaid as he groaned and rolled away from his pet once more.  
  
Despite his groaning and complaining, Daisuke was having a great time. The sun was high in the sky, Ken hadn't mentioned leaving once and in fact seemed to be having fun as well, and there was no one else around to treat him like normal. It was nice, having a friend, even if it was a temporary situation.  
  
Ken started laughing again, and Worm, disgruntled from the shaking the human holding him was putting him through, whimpered and jumped out of Ken's lap. The genius seemed to realize suddenly that he was being rather loud with his laughter, and the sound died out quickly, his grin replaced by a small, sheepish smile that couldn't quite hide the laughter in his eyes.  
  
//I don't think I've ever seen him smile like that, let alone laugh.// Dai noted the expression on Ken's face, saw the sudden change of emotion and the lingering happiness that couldn't be erased so quickly and easily. //I wonder if anyone else gets to see this? Surely someone is lucky enough.// Because Daisuke Motomiya couldn't be the only one special enough for such an honor.  
  
Vee, realizing that his human wasn't going to lower his foot down for him again, trotted off in search of something else to do, and Worm followed the larger dog away, running to keep his short little legs caught up. Ken tilted his head and watched as they disappeared into the woods. "Is it okay to let them go that far?"  
  
Daisuke leaned his head up to check on the animals' progress, then shrugged and lied back down. "They'll be fine. They play outside most days, and they know the places they're not supposed to go."  
  
"So, what are we going to do today?" asked the genius, leaning back on his elbows, feet dangling off the porch.  
  
"I don't know. What do you wanna do?" Daisuke asked in return.  
  
Ken smirked. "I don't know. What do you wanna do?" He could see the grin starting to light on Daisuke's face, and knew he'd caught the joke.  
  
"But seriously, dude. What do you want to do today?" the brunet asked, trying to sound serious.  
  
"Same thing we do everyday?" Ken muttered, biting his lip to keep from laughing out loud again.  
  
"We're not taking over the world," Daisuke informed him. A peal of laughter broke the serious mood he'd been trying for.  
  
"Could do it," Ken told Daisuke. "I'm a genius. It wouldn't take much to be a megalomaniac. And for helping me, you could be my top advisor."  
  
"Why do I get to be an advisor and not a prince, or something? Second in command?"   
  
"Because it's always the second in command who leads the coup to overthrow the emperor. I'd have to be suspicious of you, and then I'd have to kill you as an example to everyone else."   
  
That brought Daisuke's head up, brown eyes wide. He took a moment to form his reply, as Ken grinned at him evilly. "That's why... that's why you have to have someone loyal. Because I wouldn't betray a friend."  
  
Ken took a moment to ingest that, and then sighed. "Just as well that we're not taking over the world, I guess. It'd be fun, though. We could enforce stupid laws and make everyone wear T-shirts with my face printed on them."  
  
The brunet snorted as he sat up and gave Ken an odd look. "You're a genius on the edge of world conquest, and the best you can come up with is a shirt with your face? That's-" Daisuke grunted as Vee, appearing at a run from the corner of the house, barreled into his owner. "Oof!"  
  
"I think that means that he agrees that the shirt idea is a good one," Ken said loftily, standing up. Daisuke was busy holding his dog at arms' length in an attempt to keep the animal's tongue away from his face.  
  
"Oh, gods, Vee, stop breathing on me. That's so disgusting. What did you eat? Oh, stop!"  
  
It took a minute more for Worm to arrive, running for all his little legs were worth. Ken held out his arms and picked the little dog up. "Hey, little guy," he crooned, cuddling the small pet.   
  
*****  
  
"Are you hungry yet?" Daisuke asked. Ken turned his head away from the television, and the movie that was still playing, and looked at Daisuke. The brunet appeared to be still watching the movie, but his attention obviously wasn't on it if he was asking Ken questions.  
  
"A little bit," Ken answered, turning his face back towards the screen in front of them.   
  
Daisuke stood up. "I'll go see if Jun has any more soup left from the other day."  
  
Not wanting to be left alone with the movie that was playing (it was Daisuke's favorite and it gave Ken a headache), Ken stood up and followed after him. "What kind of soup?"  
  
"I don't know. She buys all this weird stuff." He searched in the fridge, pushing containers around until it was obvious that whatever he was looking for was no longer there. "She must have eaten it all. Stupid Jun. We'll just have to make something else. What kind of food do you like, Ken?"  
  
"I like chicken noodle soup. But only if it's home-made. I don't like the store-bought, canned stuff."  
  
"Home-made chicken noodle," Daisuke repeated slowly. "Do you know, I've never had that?"  
  
"It's good, if the right person makes it," Ken said informatively. He shrugged. "My mother has a recipe that's pretty good. It's actually chicken and dumplings, but it's the same concept and tastes just as good."  
  
Daisuke made a noise in the back of his throat. "You know what, Ken?" He didn't wait for the genius to respond. "We could make it." He turned and grinned at Ken. "What's in it?"  
  
"It's made from scratch, Daisuke. Even the dumplings are homemade. It's not something that you can throw together for a quick lunch."  
  
"Fine. We'll get something to eat while we're shopping for ingredients, and then we can cook it for dinner." Ken opened his mouth to argue again, his hesitation written clearly on his face. "Come on, Ken. It'll be fun. We can have it cleaned up before Jun gets home, and you can have your favorite food and I can try it out."  
  
In the face of Daisuke's earnestness and excitement, Ken could only give in, and he did so with a roll of his eyes and a small, answering smile. "Alright. I'll call my mom and ask her how she makes it. And if your sister finds a mess and gets mad, you get all the blame."  
  
"It's a deal," Daisuke agreed. He held his hand out, and they shook on it. "I'll get money while you call your mom."  
  
*****  
  
Ken summarized Daisuke's method of shopping easily: hit as many stores for ingredients as quickly as possible, and pay twice as much for items that might have been cheaper elsewhere.  
  
They couldn't buy the chicken from a grocery store, Daisuke had told Ken first thing after they left the house. The selection wasn't good enough and it wasn't as fresh as a meat market. While an individual might pay more for the meat market poultry, it would taste better in the long run.  
  
And so Ken found himself standing beside Daisuke in the butcher shop, arguing about what bird Daisuke wanted and what price the brunet was going to pay for his chicken.  
  
Part of Daisuke's reasoning was that he hated the store nearest his house, and he therefore refused to shop there willingly. Which was why the ended up walking two miles to the other side of town for the rest of the ingredients.  
  
The celery and carrots had to be purchased from the supermarket, simply because there wasn't a vegetable market in their town, a fact for which Ken was thankful (since that was one place Daisuke couldn't drag him to). The flour and vegetables had to be bought together. Unfortunately, the poultry seasoning his mother had said to buy wasn't carried by the store across town, the store that Daisuke insisted they had to shop at, and they ended up going to the store closer to Daisuke's house anyway, meaning they wasted a two mile walk for nothing.  
  
However, five minutes after they entered the store, Ken could understand why the brunet didn't want to shop there. They had made it no further than the second aisle in their hunt for poultry seasoning when a clerk started shadowing them. He would stand at the other end of the aisle, and would pretend to look busy when Ken looked at him. As soon as they moved an aisle over, the items in that shelf called to the clerk to straighten them, and he would appear once again at the other end of the aisle they were in.  
  
Daisuke seemed to ignore it, but by the time they had made it through five aisles of chaos, the brunet growled. "Stupid jerk. It was one freaking display. It wasn't my fault they put the stupid thing in the middle of the floor."  
  
Confusion and then understanding flashed in Ken's eyes, and he gave the clerk another look. "What happened?"  
  
A sigh preceded the explanation. "There was this stupid display of pickled something, and I was pushing the cart around the corner and didn't see it. And the stupid manager was a jerk. I'm allowed to shop here, but they always watch me, like I'm a thief or something."  
  
Ken gave Daisuke a considering look, and then paused as the brunet took a few steps further down the aisle. With a small smile, he picked a glass jar up from the shelf. "Hey, Daisuke." He waited for the brunet to look up, and then he tossed the jar in his direction. "That's not what we're looking for, is it?"  
  
It was caught easily, reflexively, and Daisuke read the label before looking up with a confused frown. "No, it's not." Ken shrugged innocently and held his hands up. Daisuke tossed it back, and turned back to the shelves. It took two aisles, a jar of pickles, a jar of jam, and a jar of pimento for Daisuke to catch on. The further they went in the store, and the longer the clerk followed them, the farther they stood apart as they tossed the glass jars back and forth.  
  
Daisuke almost missed the poultry seasoning, because he was walking past it when Ken threw a small jar of pizza sauce at him. "Found it!" he called, tossing the jar back so that Ken could replace it on the shelf. At his words, the clerk breathed an audible sigh of relief, and the two boys grinned at each other.  
  
*****  
  
"I am -not- reaching my hand in there," Daisuke said heatedly. The chicken, a whole, if small, chicken, was in the sink, and Daisuke was looking at the opening where the giblets and 'stuff', as he called it, had been stuffed.   
  
Beside him, Ken shook his head and backed up. "You wanted the whole chicken, and you wanted -that- chicken. It's all yours."  
  
"Ew." He took a deep breath, grabbed the legs in his right hand, closed his eyes, and drove his left hand in. He made more sounds of disgust as he pulled out any loose things his fingers found. When he was done, or as close to done as he was going to get, he dropped the chicken, stepped back, and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Ken leaning on the counter, elbows on the surface and his head down, laughing silently. "Oh, Ke~en," he called. The genius looked up, and Daisuke held his slime-covered hand. Still laughing, the genius backed away.  
  
"You should have seen your face, Daisuke," he said. A laugh escaped, and he covered his mouth to hold it in as his shoulders shook.  
  
Daisuke sighed and grimaced down at his hand. "This is so disgusting. This stuff better be great, or I'm going to be really mad that I went through this."  
  
"Think of it this way: it's an experience you'll never forget."  
  
*****  
  
"Okay, my mother said that we just mix the flour with a bit of water, until it's wet enough to mold into shapes, and then we drop it into a pan of boiling water to cook," Ken said, reading the instructions he had written down. The chicken was boiling merrily away in a pan on the stove, the innards had been cleaned from the sink, and Daisuke was waiting with the bag of flour in hand.  
  
At Ken's direction, the brunet dumped a large pile of flour on the counter, and they wetted it slowly with water from a measuring cup. Then four hands went to work, mixing the flour and water into a moldable, doughy substance. By the time it was ready to be rolled out and cut into chunks for dumplings, they were both covered to the elbow with flour.  
  
Ken let Daisuke wield the knife, and he watched as the brunet did so carefully, fully concentrated on his task. He waited for Daisuke to put the knife down before he said, "You have a spot of flour-" he paused to point out a spot on the side of Daisuke's face with his fingers, and then he wiped the flour from his own fingers onto the spot. "-right there," he finished.  
  
Daisuke's head jerked away, and the brunet stared at him in surprise before reaching out and swatting Ken on his shoulder, leaving a hand print. "Wow, Ken, you sure are messy," Daisuke returned, grinning at his own handiwork.  
  
A flour-covered hand swept through Daisuke's hair. "So are you," said Ken, grinning.  
  
The cover of nicety disappeared, and Daisuke swirled his hand in the flour on the counter before framing Ken's face with his hands. "Not half as messy as you."  
  
*****  
  
By the time that Jun got home, the chicken and noodle-clump soup was done, the mess from the flour-war was mostly cleaned up, if one didn't look too closely at the floor, and Daisuke and Ken were playing video games while they waited for her.  
  
Since his outfit had been lost as a casualty to the flour-war, Ken had borrowed a pair of Daisuke's shorts, that hung too loose and had to be held up with a belt, and a T-shirt that fit pretty well, testimony to the fact that Daisuke had outgrown it in the shoulders a while ago. Both boys had showered, and even Ken's hair was almost dry. To an outsider, it might have looked like nothing had happened.  
  
However, Jun wasn't an outsider: she was Daisuke's sister and had been around him too long not to notice the flour foot-prints on her kitchen floor, the tell-tale flour-covered clothes in the hamper, and the too-innocent smile on her brother's face.   
  
She didn't say anything, though. When both boys stood in front of her and told her proudly that dinner was done, she could see the happiness in her brother's eyes, and the answering look in Ken's. In a few short days, they'd gone from being almost nothing to each other to being actual friends, and if her kitchen had to suffer, so be it. It was a small price to pay.  
  
*****  
  
Ken's mother came to pick him up at seven thirty, and he and Daisuke agreed that Ken would be returning by noon the following day, and spending the night again.  
  
Daisuke watched as the car drove away and then disappeared over a hill. He shut the door and walked quietly to the living room, where Jun was sitting and reading a book. "He's a nice kid," his sister commented offhandedly.  
  
"Yeah. I'm glad you didn't scare him off on Sunday," Daisuke said in return, voice serious.  
  
"Somehow, I don't think he scares easily, Dai," she replied, looking at her brother over her book. She smiled slightly. "You might want to hose your clothes off in the back yard so that the flour doesn't clog the washer."  
  
"Kay." There was a long pause. "I miss having friends like that, Jun," Daisuke admitted softly. He stood up before she had a chance to say anything to that. "I'm going to bed. Night."  
  
"Good night, little brother," she whispered to his back. 


	7. Day Four: Wednesday

Daisuke paused his video game and cocked his head to listen. A moment later, the sound of knocking again filtered into his room, and he put down his controller to answer the door. If he was surprised to have company at nine in the morning, it wasn't equal to the shock of his company being Ken.   
  
"It -is- before noon," Ken said softly when Daisuke gave him a blank stare and glanced at his watch. "But it's not that early, Daisuke." His face was carefully blank, and Daisuke lamented erasing the smile that had been there when he'd originally opened the door.  
  
"Sorry. Just wasn't expecting you, dude. Come on in!" Daisuke waved his hand extravagantly. "It's a nice surprise, though," he added, throwing in a grin. He was rewarded with a small, upward curving of Ken's lips.  
  
"My mother left early for the store and asked if I wanted to come over early. I figured it would be more interesting than sitting at home or going grocery shopping, so I agreed," Ken said by way of explanation. He stepped into the house and stood in the hall while Daisuke shut the door, then he followed the brunet into Daisuke's bedroom. "I hope it's not an inconvenience," he added.  
  
"Heck, no!" Daisuke was quick to correct the genius. "It's cool. I was playing a game and losing." Daisuke waved at the television, where his game character could be seen in a rather awkward, deadly situation.   
  
"May I?" Ken asked, reaching down to pick up the controller. Daisuke nodded his consent and then sat down to watch as Ken proceeded to rescue his character and beat the level he was on.  
  
"Dude, you suck," Daisuke muttered, watching as his point total nearly doubled. He shook his head when Ken made to hand the controller back. "It's all yours, dude."   
  
Ken shrugged and turned back to the game.  
  
//If you can't figure out how to win on your own, watch the genius kick butt.// Daisuke smiled as he shifted to a reclined position on his bed, his head raised enough by a pillow that he could still see the screen easily.  
  
*****  
  
Daisuke took a deep breath before opening his eyes. When he finally did look up, Ken was leaning over him, a frown on his face. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Been better," Daisuke muttered. He raised his arms and pushed at the large dog sitting on his chest. "Up, Vee!" The animal looked at him sadly, but did as his owner commanded.   
  
Ken reached out and patted the dog on the head. "Good boy, Vee." He received a slimy lick on his hand in gratitude as the mutt's tail started wagging again.  
  
The genius offered the hand to Daisuke to help the brunet up, but Daisuke shook his head. "Other hand, dude." Ken smiled slightly and offered the hand not covered in dog slobber. "That sucked," Daisuke whined, stretching slightly.  
  
"That's what you get for training your dog to help you cheat at soccer."  
  
"It's not cheating! It's just a trick." It had been a neat one, too, until Ken had used it against him.  
  
Daisuke had been training Vee in the art of 'Fetch', and had finally reached the point where Vee understood the command. To show off his dog's newly acquired talent, he had taunted Ken into a game of soccer with their respective dogs as goalies. When Ken had attempted to kick the ball into his make-shift net, Daisuke had yelled "Fetch the ball." Vee had obeyed and had done a sort of belly-flop onto the soccer ball, effectively stopping it from making it into the net.  
  
Two other times, Daisuke had used the trick to keep Ken from scoring, but Ken had caught on quickly, and on the last occassion that Daisuke had used the command and made to run away with the ball, Ken had called out "Fetch Daisuke!"  
  
And Vee had proceeded to do just that.  
  
Now Daisuke's white T-shirt was grass-stained on the back, with matching pawprints on the front. Ken shrugged, smile disappearing behind a stoic expression. "Training. Okay."  
  
Brown eyes gazed at him for a moment, flickered to Vee who was sniffing the house near the ground, and then returned to Ken. Daisuke grinned, kicked the ball, and yelled, "Vee, fetch Ken!" even as he started towards Ken's appointed goal-mark.  
  
Ken took off after Daisuke, intent on getting the ball while hoping simultaneously that Vee wouldn't listen. No such luck. He heard the mutt bark at him. Ken looked over his shoulder and then darted in front of Daisuke, stealing the ball and putting the brunet between him and the animal.   
  
It seemed like a good plan, at least to begin with. Daisuke was right behind Ken, and Vee was right behind Daisuke. Then the dog decided that the quickest way to 'fetch' Ken would be to go through his master.  
  
When Vee jumped, he ended up tackling Daisuke who in turned tackled Ken. The three went down with a bark, a groan, and a curse. The two boys lay in stunned silence for a moment, and then Daisuke broke out into laughter. "Dog-pile," he said between laughs, face buried in the back of Ken's left knee, right hand fisted in Ken's pantleg and the other somewhere above his head, fisted in Ken's shirt.  
  
Ken was a bit slower to find amusement in being tackled by the brunet and the brunet's errant pet, but with Daisuke's body shaking with laughter, and Vee, when Ken lifted his head and tried to look around, standing on his master's back with his tongue lolling out, Ken couldn't help but chuckle. After a few moments, when Daisuke had stopped laughing, Ken realized exactly where Daisuke's hand was, and he sighed as he buried his face in the grass.  
  
"Daisuke, please remove your hand from my butt," he said loudly enough to be heard, despite the muffled quality the ground gave his voice.  
  
The hand was removed quickly, and then the weight on his legs disappeared as Daisuke rolled onto his back and off Ken. He was laughing again. "Sorry. Nothing like a friendly grope between friends."  
  
//Oh, gods, don't let that sound as bad to him as it just did to me. Open mouth, insert foot, Dai.//  
  
Ken laughed softly and moved his arms so that his face was resting in the hole created by them. He wasn't even going to try to comment on Daisuke's last remark, nor was he going to show his blushing face to the world anytime soon.  
  
"I'm going to go get something to drink," Daisuke announced. He stood up, embarrassment pushed aside and replaced by thirst. "Want something, Ken?"  
  
"Whatever you're having," Ken answered, brain to muddled to try to remember what 'drink' meant, and what items went with it. A moment later, he heard the back door open and shut. He waited a few moments more before deciding that the blush on his face wasn't going away. "When is this week going to -end-?" he whispered plaintively to the ground. It didn't respond.  
  
It was bad enough being stuck for a week with a guy who could at worst be described as mildy attractive, at least to a person of Ken's orientation. Added on that was the rather frightnening thought that beneath the looks was a personality just as attractive as the exterior, and Ken was falling, head, heels, and heart. So far, he'd managed to keep his clumsily growing emotions in check. His brain had been in fine form until he had realized that Daisuke was touching his posterior, and then the brunet's comment had finished pushing his mind into territory better left unexplored.   
  
Ken thought that friendship was a good enough goal at the moment. But... his thoughts turned to Daisuke's words... "...friendly grope.." Maybe it was possible that the attraction was returned? The idea had some merit.  
  
With a sigh, Ken rolled onto his back and waited for Daisuke to come back outside. Only time would tell, after all, and he wouldn't see anything if he was staring into an ant hill.  
  
*****  
  
"And, even with one hand behind his back, Motomiya Daisuke is the reigning champion of the world!" Ken rooled his eyes and shook his head. Daisuke didn't have one hand behind his back: they were both in the air as he trotted around his backyard, high-stepping victoriously. Their game was over and the brunet had reached a score of ten first, making him the winner.  
  
With another eye roll, this one ignored as well, Ken chastised himself for letting the other boy win. If he had known how Daisuke would react, he would have put more effort into his blocking. As it was, he simply smiled tolerantly when Daisuke finally calmed down enough to pay attention to him again.  
  
"You may be good, Ken, and you may be 'the Rocket', but -I- am the -King- of soccer," he said conceitedly, grinning widely. "And you, well. You'll have to suffer with being a measly squire."  
  
"Measly?" repeated Ken. The smile disappeared from his face and was replaced with a cold expression. "We continue the game to fifteen points, current score kept," he challenged. He narrowed his eyes. "I will wipe the dirt from my shoe with your pride, Motomiya."  
  
"Ooh, Ken, you're so big and bad," Daisuke said mockingly. His grin got bigger, if that was possible. "Bring it on, Rocket."  
  
The game began again. Technically, Ken started off two points behind, but it only took him five minutes to even the score and get ahead by one. That was also just enough time for Daisuke's bravado to disappear in the face of determination and potential loser-hood.   
  
As both boys were playing hard, it was no surprise that a solid kick went overboard. Instead of going into the appointed goal, as Ken had intended, the soccer ball sailed around the side of the house and disappeared around the corner. Daisuke laughed and told Ken to fetch it himself. While the genius went to retrieve it, Daisuke waited in the backyard, his mind already plotting the moves he would have to pull to score his remaining goals before Ken.  
  
He almost missed the quiet 'Oh, no,' that floated back in his direction, but hear it he did, and he recognized it as Ken's voice. Out of curiosity, he started towards the front yard, only to stop out of sight around a corner when a chorus of girls voices said happily, "Hi, Ken!"  
  
The saccharine sweetness in their tones was enough to turn Daisuke's stomach, but the sight that greeted him when he peeked around the corner almost made him gag. Ken was surrounded by a group of eight girls, all of whom were wearing pink shirts with the genius' picture imprinted on the front. The Ken Ichijouji Fan Club had struck.  
  
Daisuke ducked back quickly, unable to hide his grimace. It would figure that the gaggle of girls would show up. //Just when we're having fun, too! If they had showed up on Sunday, it wouldn't have been any big deal, but no. They just had to wait until we're getting along and things are going really well. Stupid girls, anyway.//  
  
"Hello, Ken," a slightly less feminine voice said. It was female, yes, but it lacked the simpering quality of the rest of the girls.  
  
"Hello, Miyako," Ken replied stiffly.  
  
//Ah. The president then, and the most evil of evils herself.// The fan club was bad enough: annoying, clinging, whining, pining, etc. But the president was a witch. At least, she said she was, and there were enough people afraid of her that when she threatened to hex someone, people ran. //This is so not cool. How do I get rid of all those stupid girls and Miyako?//  
  
"We were terribly disappointed last week when we were unable to outbid the idiot at the auction. Since then, we have been discussing possible strategies to utilize our loss, and we have finally managed to come up with a well-thought out plan," the girl stated, sounding quite technical and cold. Around Ken, the rest of the fan girls twittered.  
  
//Oi. How do I get rid of a witch and her stupid followers?//  
  
"Daisuke paid his money, and it wouldn't be right for you to do anything to make him forfeit the prize he's paid for," Ken returned, sounding mechanical. All of the warmth and humor he'd been expressing in the last few days disappeared, and Daisuke could hear the same stilted tone that had greeted him on Sunday.  
  
"Under normal circumstances, we would not think to force the idiot to forfeit anything, but in this case, he has pushed our hands to the point where we feel it is our duty to interfere. You should have been ours this week, Ken dear, and we feel cheated that we have already lost three and a half precious days of our time with you."  
  
Daisuke nearly growled as he stalked into the backyard. Vee, seeming to sense his anger even from across the yard, trotted over and whined at him. The brunet ignored his pet as he stalked to the other side of the house. //Idiot, huh? Cheated because I outbid you? Your duty to interfere, huh? That witch is -so- going down.//  
  
Vee followed him around the other side of the house, and Daisuke whispered to his pet to heel as he appeared in his front yard in the direction opposite Ken had gone. The fan club was so focused on the genius that they didn't notice Daisuke until he was within a few yards of them.  
  
"Twitterbrains, back off. Ken's mine for the week, and while I know it must be killing you that you can't drool over him all week, you can't have him. Call me selfish, but I'm just not willing to share him with you dweebs."  
  
The purple-haired witch turned to him and he gulped down his initial burst of fear. //So what if she's a good three inches taller than me? Who cares if she can curse me for the rest of my life. I paid seven hundred dollars to have Ken for a week, and he's mine, darn it! And okay, so the money wasn't mine and I didn't really care on Friday who I bought...// he cut off his train of thought as eight angry fan girls turned accusing gazes on him.  
  
For some odd reason, he almost felt like a man on trial, as if he'd truly stolen something precious from these girls. Then his brain started working again, and he reminded himself that the only thing obsessed groupies held sacred were locks of hair and pictures obtained during stalking forays.  
  
"You guys need to leave," he told them. He even managed to dredge up enough courage to stare Miyako down. "This is private property and you are -not- welcome."  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him and managed to make it look threatening. "Daisuke Motomiya, we of the Ken Ichijouji Fan Club would like to inform you-"  
  
"Three-"  
  
"-that you have infringed upon our time with the focus-"  
  
"Two-"  
  
"-of our fan club, and we are here not only to show-"  
  
"One-"  
  
"-our displeasure, but also to tell you that we-"  
  
Whatever else she said was drowned out in the sudden screams and squeals of the rest of the fan club as Daisuke turned the hose he'd been hiding behind his back on them. Ken, luckily, saw it coming and had the good sense to get out of the way and onto the porch before Daisuke began the dousing.  
  
The fan girls screamed as the ran from the yard, arms crossed protectively over the Ken pictures on their shirts. Only Miyako, standing a few feet back from the group to signify her leadership over the group, remained as dry as Daisuke and Ken.  
  
"That was most unwise, idiot," she yelled. She curled her hands into fists and stalked towards Daisuke. Daisuke turned the hose off and then pointed it straight at her.  
  
"One more step and you'll be a melted puddle of goo, witch," he warned, hands ready on the hose to turn it on if she didn't obey. "You can leave quietly, or you can leave like your nitwits did, but trust me, you're leaving. And if you have any ideas about coming back tomorrow or the day after, I'll let you know now that I keep water guns in the front closet and they're always loaded."  
  
She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, there was a measure of control back in her gaze. "There will be repercussions, idiot. Be prepared."  
  
"Three-" Daisuke, all arrogance now that he had the upper hand again, started his countdown over.  
  
Miyako turned and strode calmly out of the yard and down the sidewalk. Daisuke didn't lower the nozzle of the hose until she was out of sight around a corner.  
  
He turned at the sound of clapping. Ken was smiling. "Bravo. Behold, my hero, Daisuke of the Hose. He who is armed, whether with water pistol or trained canine companion. What great feats has this brave lad managed with his awesome artillery?"  
  
"Shut up," Daisuke said, fighting the laughter that threatened at Ken's dramatic silliness.  
  
"No, no! I can not say enough about the incredible deed that has been done here today! Daisuke, only recently my friend, has managed to save me, Ken the genius, from the evil clutches of Miyako, the president of the Fan Club from Hell. Without his heroic efforts, my liberation-- hey!" Ken's litany of praise ended abruptly as he was sprayed with water.  
  
"I told you to shut up!" Daisuke told him, laughing. The laughter became a worried yell as Ken charged him. He dropped the hose and made for the backyard, his legs carrying him swiftly. Unfortunately, Ken was quick, both physically and mentally. The genius had the hose in hand at the same moment he gave Vee the fetch command.  
  
Daisuke's rescue of Ken quickly became an all-out water fight, and by the time they were done and Jun came home that evening, they were soaking wet, sniffling from the cold, and the backyard was a giant mud puddle.  
  
*****  
  
"I swear, you two. I leave you alone for an hour, and you two are destroying either my kitchen or the backyard," Jun chastised.  
  
Ken and Daisuke, clumped miserably together at the kitchen table, didn't comment. They were both dressed in Daisuke's clothes and wrapped in blankets. Despite the fact that Daisuke considered it perfect weather for wearing shorts, it was too cold for water fights and mud wrestling, as both boys were now illustrating.  
  
Jun sighed as she opened the fridge. It was a good thing they had cooked such a large dinner the day before, or all three of them would have been out of luck for dinner. Jun didn't feel like cooking and her plan had been to get them to fix the meal, a task which neither her brother nor Ken were up for in their current states.  
  
"And really, Daisuke, do I even want to know what you guys were doing with the hose? If you wanted to swim in a lake, you could have gone a few blocks over to play in that stupid pond. Did you really have to make a swamp in the backyard?"  
  
She stopped scolding them as she realized that her brother was too busy staring at the bowl of left-over soup in her hands to pay attention to her. With another sigh, this one louder and more for show than not, she set about microwaving the food in the hopes that once fed, her brother would be more attentive. It was probably a futile hope, as he tended to pay attention only when he wanted to. Yet it was still worth an attempt, and besides, she was hungry, too.  
  
Daisuke seemed to bounce back once food was placed in front of him, but Ken didn't fare as well. He ate slowly, and when Jun asked him questions, his responses were sluggish.  
  
After Daisuke was done eating, he stayed at the table until Jun shooed him away so that Ken could eat. He was gone only five minutes before he came back and sat down, purposely quiet. That lasted until Jun's back was turned to wash dishes, and then Daisuke decided to offer Ken encouragement in the form of making faces and miming insults at his sister, all of which Jun ignored, since Ken seemed to be amused by her brother's playfulness.  
  
Ken finished just before Jun had drained the water from the sink, and so the boys left the kitchen while she washed his bowl and silverware.   
  
In the five minutes that Daisuke had been in his room, he'd made a bed on the floor and had prepped the television and VCR so that both were ready when both boys entered the room. Ken assumed that it was his turn to take the floor, and so settled onto the pallet of blankets and sheets, the blanket he'd been carrying around with him still wrapped snugly around his shoulders.  
  
The brunet didn't realize his friend's position at first, too busy was he with putting a movie into the player. When he turned to sit down on his spot on the floor, however, he found Ken already in his place.  
  
"Dude, get in bed," Daisuke ordered, nudging the sitting boy with his foot.   
  
Ken flapped the blanket around his shoulders at Daisuke's foot. "You take the bed. I was here first and it's my turn on the floor."  
  
Daisuke sat down next to Ken and crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly. "I'm not making my guest sleep on the floor, dude. Either take the bed or we're both sleeping on the floor." //Again.//  
  
It could have been a natural stubbornness the two shared, but neither was willing to commit the other to a miserable night on the floor. They both ended up using the floor as a bed that night. Ken had enough light, what with the glow from the television and the fact that Daisuke had failed to turn the overhead light off, and so he didn't particularly need the security of knowing another person was near by. That didn't stop him, however, from shifting closer as soon as Daisuke appeared to be asleep.  
  
He curled around the brunet, careful not to actually touch the other boy as he rested his head on his arm and settled down for sleep. He wasn't prepared for an arm to wrap around him from the front, or for Daisuke to whisper a quiet, "Night."  
  
Ken stilled, frozen in mortified shock for over a minute. Daisuke seemed almost asleep, but there was an almost unnatural stillness about him, as if the brunet was trying to neither move nor breathe too loudly.  
  
The smart thing, Ken thought, would be to get my rear in gear, get up, and go to the bed. It was a safe distance away. The romantic thing to do would be to melt into the brunet and hope that he was reading the other boy right.  
  
Ken, genius and closet romantic though he was, chose neither of the first two options. Instead, he took a deep breath, relaxed slightly, and whispered, "Good night," in return.  
  
It wasn't a step forwards for Ken, but neither was it a step back. Daisuke was striding quickly enough for the both of them.  
  
*****  
  
Notes available at the site: The truth behind Vee and Worm (a repeat of the back story for those who don't remember, as well as some information, such as why a Doberman has a tail to wag, and other such fun stuff. ^_^)  
  
http://www.baseofoperation.org/raegan_everyday_notes.html 


	8. Day Five: Thursday

Author's note: Sorry this took so long. I had problems with the writing and the plotness... and then my disk decided to erase itself when I was a scene away from closing Thursday...Ice'is had another copy (thanks be for beta readers, best friends, and soul sisters) but it was missing two scenes I'd already typed up... So I did my best to recreate them.  
  
*****  
  
Daisuke woke up first again, and as he had on Tuesday, he detached his limbs carefully from Ken and then made his way to the bathroom. He showered and brushed his teeth before making his way to the kitchen. It wasn't even six-thirty yet, so Jun was still asleep. He started the coffee-maker brewing, and then looked in the fridge. There were enough ingredients left to make one of his skillet breakfasts, but it didn't take long to cook and he had a while before he'd have to even start making it.  
  
He made his way slowly back to the bedroom. He turned thetelevision and VCR off and the computer on in their place. He waited for it to boot up and then started a game of Minesweeper, to which he had recently become addicted.  
  
*****  
  
Ken woke slowly at first, and then sat up quickly as he realized that he wasn't at home in his bed. He recognized Daisuke's room almost immediately after that and looked around, but the brunet was nowhere to be seen. He felt good for having slept the night on the floor and for the miserable mess he'd been before he'd gone to bed. The residual uncertainty of what to make of sleeping with Daisuke was put on hold until he knew whether he should be embarrassed or not.  
  
He stood up and gathered the blankets together. He deposited them on the bed, careful not to disturb Vee and Worm, who had taken up residence on the leftover pillows. He patted the smaller dog on the head before heading for the bathroom. Jun was coming out of the room and she offered him a groggy half-smile as she stumbled off to the kitchen.  
  
It only took him a few moments to do his business and he headed for the kitchen next, rightfully assuming that that's where Daisuke would be. The brunet was standing at the stove, stirring the contents of a pan with a spatula while Jun sat at the table reading her paper.  
  
"Morning, Ken!" Daisuke said as soon as he'd turned around and seen the genius standing in the archway. "Have a seat!" He waved towards the seat across from Jun with the hand not holding the spatula and then turned back to his food preparation.  
  
"How are you feeling this morning?" asked Jun. She tilted the paper towards the table as she waited for a reply, but she didn't set it down completely.  
  
"Fine, thank you," Ken answered softly. He liked Daisuke's sister for the most part, but she seemed especially irritable in the mornings. He thought it luck there had been no repeat of Sunday morning, when she had threatened to cut his hair.  
  
"I'm fine too, Jun, thanks for asking," Daisuke said sarcastically as he turned from the stove, pan in hand. There was a plate in front of Jun, but the rest of the table was bare. After the brunet served his sister, he returned the pan to the stove, then moved to the cupboard to retrieve two more plates, wordlessly answering Ken's unspoken question of whether they would be eating too.  
  
"I knew you'd be fine, little brother. It's been years since you've gotten anything worse than a mild cough," Jun retorted, giving her brother a look before folding her paper into a quarter of its size. That small, she could hold it in one hand while she ate with the other.  
  
After scooping the remaining contents of the pan onto the other two plates, Daisuke dropped the pan into the sink with a loud clank and then dropped into the chair next to Ken with a grin. "Eat up!"  
  
"The Daisuke Skillet?" Ken said questioningly.  
  
"Yup!" Daisuke said, grin widening proudly.  
  
"Am I supposed to eat it with my fingers?"  
  
*****  
  
Shortly after Jun left for work, Daisuke disappeared into the bathroom, leaving a trail of phone cord and a quick "Watch something on TV" in his wake. It was an easy command to follow, and Ken turned the television to the news while he waited for Daisuke to do whatever he was doing. He didn't have to wait long.  
  
"Come on!" Daisuke urged as he put the phone back on the table where it belonged and the phone book in the drawer beneath.  
  
Ken stood up slowly. "We're going someplace?"  
  
The brunet huffed and put his hands on his hips. "No, I said come on because I want you to sit on the couch all day."  
  
"Ah. In that case..." Ken sat back down on the couch and turned back towards the news.  
  
"Dude!" Daisuke exclaimed in a wheedling tone. "Please, Ken? Let's go play!" The last word was dragged out into a piteous whine.  
  
Ken chuckled softly, turned the television off, and rose once more to his feet. "Since you asked so nicely, Master Daisuke," he said, bowing jokingly.  
  
Eyes were rolled in his direction before Daisuke pointed a finger towards the hall. "Fine, slave. Go find something of mine to wear and be back out here in five minutes."  
  
This time Ken saluted as he moved to obey. "Yes, sir! Right away, sir!"  
  
As the genius disappeared into the bedroom, Daisuke sighed and shook his head. "What a weird guy."  
  
*****  
  
Ken was kept in suspense until they reached their destination, which seemed to be on the outskirts of town. It wasn't really far, and they traveled the distance in fifteen minutes of solid walking, neither athlete winded or tired by the exertion.  
  
It was an empty field with a small trailer beside it, the property guarded behind a chest-high fence. Ken could see what looked to be the top of a barn, but there were no other buildings. As Daisuke opened a gate in the fence, the trailer door opened and a tall, thin man stepped outside to greet them. "Hello! You must be Daisuke! When you said you were stopping by, I didn't think you meant -quite- so soon."  
  
"Hey, you said you were open," Daisuke returned. He waved to Ken. "This is Ken."  
  
"It's just the two of you?" the man asked, smiling at Ken but directing the question to both of them.  
  
"Yup!" the brunet answered. He grinned at Ken.  
  
"You guys go on ahead to the barn, and I'll bring the equiptment down," the man instructed, turning back towards the trailer. Daisuke grabbed Ken's hand and started jogging towards the roof that Ken could see.  
  
*****  
  
"Okay, the rules are rather easy," the man said as he dropped two large bags onto the ground. "No aiming for the face or the crotch. No stealing the other's gun or ammo. The game is to find the other's flag without getting shot. The flags can not be hidden out of site. When shot, neither party is allowed to shoot for a minute, but I'll let you boys referee yourself. After a minute, the injured party has to return to his own flag before he can shoot. Understood?"  
  
"Yes!" Daisuke answered quickly. Ken shrugged and nodded halfheartedly. The instructions were easy enough to remember, but he still wasn't sure what was going on. It all became more clear as the brunet pulled a black gun out of a bag.  
  
"The pellets in that gun are blue and orange, Daisuke. Ken, that leaves you with the pink and green. There are safe zones for each of you. If you are standing in a circle of your color and the enemy shoots you, it doesn't count, so I wouldn't recommend wasting your pellets. If your enemy is standing in your color, shoot to your hearts content, as it's not his safe zone. I would recommend hiding your flag quickly, as being shot while you're holding it constitutes losing. Now, to start, you guys go to opposite ends of the field. When you're there, there are two light bulbs and a switch. Turn the switch on. When both bulbs are lit, play can start."  
  
"Okay!" came the excited affirmation as Daisuke threw one strap of his bag over his head and started carrying his equipment away.  
  
Ken looked at his bag and then picked it up by the handles. "Paint ball guns?" he said questioningly. The man grinned back at him, waved, and turned back towards his trailer.  
  
"You guys have fun. You can play until you're out of pellets, or until you've caught the others flag. If something should happen, I'll be inside."  
  
Alone, Ken started towards the side of the field opposite of the direction Daisuke had taken. "Paint ball guns," he said to himself, shaking his head.  
  
*****  
  
Daisuke made it to the place with the bulbs and eagerly flipped the switch. As soon as the other bulb turned on, he took off running, a string of pellets strapped across his chest, gun in one hand and flag in the other. It reminded him of some movie he'd seen once. "Rambo", or "Bambi", something like that.  
  
The field, despite the lack of buildings, was far from bare. There were high stacks of baled hay everywhere, offering cover and hiding places. Some were just stacked in a single pile, working as effectively as a small tree, while others were stacked in long lines, creating short walls and little alcoves.  
  
It was in one of the alcoves that Daisuke tucked his flag before he moved out to find Ken, or in lieu of the genius, Ken's flag. As he ran, he noticed the paint stains on the ground and on some of the bales. There were more colors than what the man had said were in their bags, and Daisuke wished he could have gotten the ones with the red paint: he could have made it look like he was really shot.  
  
"Daisuke!" Ken called out suddenly. Daisuke ducked behind a bale of hay. "Why paint guns?"  
  
Daisuke grinned. "I don't know! I thought it'd be fun, after the waterfight yesterday."  
  
"It won't be so fun now that I can fight back properly."  
  
"Ha. It's going to be twice as much fun to kick your ass now that you have a chance at winning. Even if it's a small chance," Daisuke retorted, grinning.  
  
"I think you want me to win," Ken shot back confidently, his voice sounding odd. Daisuke tried to peek around the corner of the hay to figure out why it seemed different.  
  
//A little too confident.// Confused and worried, Daisuke frowned in the direction he'd last heard Ken and tried to figure out what the words meant. "How do you figure that?"  
  
"Because you let me get this close," Ken said suddenly, too close. Daisuke jumped and whirled around, only to find Ken's gun aimed at his stomach. There had been two guns in each bag, a large, rifle-like one with a note attached that said "long distance" and a hand-held pistol with another note, "close range". It was the pistol in Ken's hand, and Daisuke frowned. It was obvious that the genius had intended on getting close.  
  
"That's cheating, Dude," Daisuke pouted, crossing his arms over his chest, the hand with the gun holding the 'weapon' to his chest.  
  
Ken shook his head in disagreement. "It's not cheating. It may not be exactly fair, but it's not cheating, Daisuke."  
  
"Whatever you have to tell yourself to keep your conscience clear, Ken," Daisuke said sarcastically, taking a careful step backwards. If he was lucky, Ken wouldn't notice his slow, backwards retreat. "So, Ken. Shot anyone lately?"  
  
The hand with the gun waved slightly as Ken spoke, following the flow of his words. "Oh, you know me. Had to shoot my way through the fanclub. It's not easy being the ruler of the planet."  
  
"You aren't an emperor yet, Ken," Daisuke reminded him, shuffling back a little more. He was encouraged by the fact that the genius didn't step forwards to follow his movents. The gap between them was widening, and he'd soon be able to duck around the bale of hay and get his gun ready to defend himself.  
  
"I -am- an emperor. You saw the shirts the girls were wearing yesterday. Isn't that what I said would happen when I took over as ruler of this tiny ball of dust?"  
  
Daisuke paused momentarily, realizing rather bemusedly, and belatedly, that the fan club yesterday -had- been sporting pictures of the genius's face on their shirts. It was while he was distracted with that thought that he felt something hit him on his side. It didn't hit with bruising force, but it did elicit an 'ow' as he looked down with some surprise at the pink spot on his blue shirt. He looked back up in time to see Ken running away laughing.  
  
And the game was on, Daisuke down by one.  
  
He adjusted his shoulder strap with a grin and took off, intent on chasing Ken until the genius was worn out or paint-covered, whichever came first. Or maybe both.  
  
*****  
  
"Oi, Ken! Are you hungry yet?" Daisuke asked tiredly. He was leaning heavily against a hay-stack wall, large gun in his left hand, the pistol in his right. His bag was completely empty and all the ammunition he had left was strapped around his chest and back. Somewhere a few yards away, Ken was faring about the same. They were both paint-splattered from neck to shoe, and Ken even had some in his hair where Daisuke had shot above his head and the paint had rained down on him.  
  
"Starving," Ken answered, sounding equally fatigued. The lunch hour had passed them by a while ago, and the sun was arcing its way toward the horizon. It would be dinnertime soon, and food was something both boys could use, as they'd been chasing each other for hours. "Are we calling a draw?"  
  
Daisuke sighed to himself and debated. //I'm tired, hungry, sore, paint-covered... this is the best day of this week!// He chuckled to himself as he started sidestepping around the wall. Ken was on the other side, and if he could just-  
  
He found himself nose-to-barrel with Ken's pistol. "Is that a 'no'?" Ken asked softly, eyes dangerously serious. If Daisuke declined the truce, the auburn-haired teen would find himself with one more paint-splatter on top of all the rest.  
  
"Draw," Daisuke said quickly. He knew the bruises that pistol could cause at close range, was already sporting a few, and he had no desire to be hit again. Ken smiled, eyes crinkling up in the cars, and lowered the gun. "My sister's going to kill us."  
  
"Nope. You're sister's going to kill -you-," Ken said smartly. "She'll just shake her head at me and wonder why I'm letting you corrupt me."  
  
Daisuke rolled his eyes but nodded. "It was fun, wasn't it?" he inquired, looking hopeful.  
  
"Yes, it was," Ken agreed. He rotated his shoulders stiffly. "Painful, but fun."  
  
"No pain, no gain!" Daisuke yelled, throwing his hands up into the air. He grunted suddenly dropped his arms. "But somehow, I've got all of the bruises and none of the victory."  
  
Laughing, they made their way to their forgotten flags, gathered the bags and accessories they'd discarded throughout the course of the afternoon, and made their way back to the trailer. The man in charge of the paintball field was sitting on his porch, patiently waiting for them to get done. "Have fun, guys?" he asked, pushing dark hair out of his face.  
  
"It was great!" Daisuke exclaimed. He started to punch his fist into the air, but then stopped. "Those guns are -heavy-."  
  
The man laughed. "Of course they are, when you carry them around for hours. Who won?" He looked at their clothes, equally paint-covered, and grinned. "Or did you guys just spend the last couple of hours trying to kill each other?"  
  
"I wasn't trying to kill him," Daisuke said innocently, smirking at Ken. "I'm his right-hand man. We were just... doing military excersises. I have to keep the Emperor here in shape."  
  
"Emperor?" the man repeated, looking confused. He shook his head instead of inquiring farther. "Go ahead and leave that stuff right there at the bottom of the stairs. I'll get back to it later. You guys might want to get home soon. Much longer, and all that paint will be dry and you won't be able to walk."  
  
"How much do I owe you?" asked Daisuke, one hand already reaching into his paint-crusted pocket.  
  
The man shook his head. "It's on the house. I hope to see you boys again closer to summer. I'll be mowing the back field, so there'll be more room to play in."  
  
"Cool!" Brown eyes practically glowed with excitement. "I will -so- be back this summer."  
  
"And you? Ken, was it? You'll come with him and give him a run for his money, right?" the man asked, smiling at Ken. The genius shrugged his shoulders uncertainly and looked at Daisuke, who ignored the question in favor of dragging Ken towards the road.  
  
"Later, man! Thanks for the fun time!" They reached the sidewalk and Daisuke released Ken's arm. "I'll have to get Tai down here this summer, too. Let him and Matt go at it with the paintguns." He grinned at Ken. "They're really funny when they're competing for something, because neither one likes to lose, but they -hate- to lose to each other."  
  
"Sounds like an interesting rivalry," Ken commented. "You said before that they've been friends for a long time."  
  
"Forever! They were around ten or so when they first met, and that was before Kari was born. That's why Kari and TP are such good friends." He had started out with a cheerful tone, but as he spoke, his smile dimmed and his voice grew softer. "They all lived next door to each other and there's no one closer to either one of them."  
  
"I haven't really met any of them, but they seem like nice people."  
  
"Nice enough," Daisuke agreed quietly. "We used to all be friends, but-" He stopped suddenly, and Ken followed his gaze. Not a hundred feet away, Hikari Yagami was standing. She turned and caught sight of them, and the blank, peaceful look disappeared behind surprise, and then something darker.  
  
She began to walk towards them, her face lighting up again as she smiled. "Hello, Daisuke. Ken." She held her hand out before either boy could return her greeting. "We've never actually met. I'm Hikari Yagami, but you can call me Kari." Her eyes flickered back to Daisuke and her smile wobbled uncertainly. "Daisuke, if I may? I just need to talk to you for a moment."  
  
He looked uncertainly at Ken before shrugging. //Here it comes. She hates me and is going to make sure everyone knows it.//  
  
"I'm sorry, Daisuke." Her smile grew stronger, more sincere. "I know I've waited too say that, and maybe it doesn't mean much to you now, but I am." She paused and gave Ken a considering look before going on. "Takeru and I aren't together anymore. I thought you should know that."  
  
//Eh?// Daisuke stared at her for a moment, but her words still didn't make sense. "You and Takaishi -aren't- going out, but -you're- sorry? Why?"  
  
Kari smiled and laughed softly. "Because when you kissed him and we had that fight, I was cruel, and I know that. I had no right to treat a friend the way I treated you, and the fact that I was wrong about him and I only adds to my guilt and regret. I wanted to be mad at you and I used the fact that I thought he and I were in love to make me angry. But we weren't, obviously, and when I realized that I also realized how stupid I was to say and do the things I said and did."  
  
She stretched her hand out for him to shake and continued, "I'm asking for your forgiveness, Daisuke, and I hope that in time, you'll let us be friends again." Her eyes flickered to Ken, who was watching them silently, no reaction on his blank face. Her hand dropped. "And I was going to tell you that Takeru was free, if you wanted to try again, but I don't think you'd care anymore." Her smile widened as she turned back to Daisuke...  
  
Who stared at her as if she'd grown a second head. //She -what-?// "You're giving me permission to go after your ex-boyfriend?" he asked, just to make sure he'd caught that part correctly. It hadn't ocurred to him yet that Ken was standing as audience to their discussion.  
  
The girl laughed and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "I was going to, yes." A pointed glance at Ken. "But that's not necessary, is it?"  
  
And Daisuke remembered then that the genius was standing there, and he turned to Ken with wide eyes and a blush staining his cheeks. "Um..." He swallowed hard and looked back at Kari. "Thanks," he said finally. He stuck his hand out and she accepted it. "I'm sorry, too. I was stupid. And I -do- want to be your friend again." He smiled slightly, his eyes lighting up. "Hikari-chan."  
  
She smiled back, noting the affection in his eyes. It would have worried her, made her wonder if he didn't still care for her as much as he once had, but then he looked at Ken and the light in his eyes grew into something brighter, stronger, and she relaxed. On impulse, she leaned forward and embraced him awkwardly, trying to avoid touching the paint splattered all over him. "Daisuke-chan," she murmured into his ear, laughing quietly. "Be smart this time, okay?"  
  
When they drew apart, his cheeks were still flushed and he wouldn't look at either Hikari or Ken. "Arigatou. Ja ne," Daisuke told Kari, taking a step back and then turning.  
  
"Later," she said softly in return, watching as the two boys walked away. She smiled as they disappeared around a corner, her heart light. Only in her dreams had that conversation gone that way. She had been so afraid of hurting him more, but it seemed fate had decided to step in to make sure he was happy.  
  
*****  
  
Ken tailed Daisuke to his house without making any attempt at conversation. When they reached the Motomiya residence, Daisuke unlocked the door and pushed it open before looking at Ken. "Do you want to call your mom, or have Jun take you home?"  
  
The genius looked at him pensively for a moment, wondering if he dared be bold enough to ask to stay. He hesitated and then skirted around the issue for a time. "Is it okay if I worry about that after I can walk properly again?" He waved a hand down at the splattered clothes he was wearing, and winked at Daisuke, who laughed.  
  
"Yeah, dude. If you wanna go ahead and start a shower, I'll bring you some clean clothes." He shut the door finally as Ken made his way to the bathroom.  
  
While Ken was in the shower, Daisuke made good his word and retrieved the other boy's clothes from his bedroom. He set them on a stand in the hallway, and then went into the kitchen, where Jun was sitting on the counter.  
  
"Hey, Pain," she greeted him casually, sparing a glance at her brother before looking back at her magazine. She did a double-take and set the magazine aside. "What have you guys been doing today? And is Ken running the water, or were you waiting for the temperature to be 'right'?"  
  
Daisuke shrugged. "Ken's in the shower. We went and played at the paintball field. I'm -starved-." He sniffed at the pain on the stove; Jun was boiling something, though it didn't smell recognizable. "Jun?" he said softly, questioningly, eyes on the boiling water.  
  
"Yeah?" she murmured back, picking her magazine back up as she waited for him to start talking.  
  
"Do you think it's wrong to realize you don't like someone within a week of liking them?"  
  
She frowned and looked at him over the curled pages. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well... I talked to Kari today. Last week, I thought I still really liked her, but today when she was talking, I didn't. Not like a crush anymore. More like a friend. And last week, I still thought Takeru was kind of cute, but I didn't like him like I used to, but she said I could date him, but I don't -want- to. But I think I would have a week ago."  
  
"And now you wouldn't?" He nodded in affirmation, and she rolled her eyes. "At your age, it's normal to stop liking people really quickly." She hesitated. "Hikari and Takeru?"  
  
He looked up at her with a guilty expression. "Yeah."  
  
"Are you guys friends again?" she asked. There was a long pause after her question, and she was about to repeat herself when he finally nodded.  
  
"I think we are. Hikari said she was sorry, and I said I was sorry. I'll have to see if Takeru still hates me on Monday, but she made it sound like he doesn't."  
  
"Takeru will never hate you, Daisuke. Just like you could never hate him or Hikari, and just like Hikari never -truly- hated you. You guys were young. I'm actually surprised you've stayed away from each other so long. The three of you used to be inseparable and I thought nothing could tear you apart."  
  
He grimaced. "It happened, though." He smiled suddenly. "We might all be friends again." Just as suddenly, he turned wistful. "It'd be nice to have friends again."  
  
They both heard the water shut off at approximately the same time, and Daisuke grinned at his sister before running back into the hallway to get Ken's clothes. Jun stared at the doorway for a moment before wondering to herself how Daisuke's reformed friendships would affect his relationship with Ken.  
  
*****  
  
Daisuke was happy and it showed. He was bouncing around the yard after practically eating his dinner in one bite. Ken was tired just watching him. Of course, it helped that they had spent the first half of the day chasing each other, though one wouldn't know it from looking at the brunet playing tag with his dog. His energy seemed boundless, and Ken wondered if he'd ever slow down.  
  
They hadn't discussed much about what had happened after the paintball field, but Ken could make a few assumptions from what he'd heard between Daisuke and Hikari, and what Daisuke's reactions seemed to say. There had also been the incident at the cook-out their teachers had had, where Daisuke had spent the meal talking to Tai and keeping as far away from Hikari and the blond, who Ken assumed was the infamous Takeru, as possible.  
  
They had once been friends, and Takeru and Hikari had dated. That was obvious and given. Daisuke had liked them -both-, but had liked Hikari more and had managed to lose both his friends because of a kiss. All three friends were now single, and Hikari had made it obvious that -she- was off-limits to Daisuke, even if Takeru wasn't.  
  
In Ken's mind, that made things almost easy. If his competition had been Hikari, he might have lost, because a girl could offer Daisuke things Ken couldn't. Takeru made things easier, though, by being male. Ken couldn't imagine the blond offering Daisuke something that he, Ken, couldn't, and he was going to spend their last two days together, if they were indeed the last, trying to find the quickest way to Daisuke's heart.  
  
He felt his chest tighten at the thought, but the feeling was pleasant, like the fluttering in his stomach he experienced when he gave into one of Daisuke's whims or pleas. It only increased as Daisuke came running up to the porch where Ken was sitting. "So, dude. Are you going home or what?"  
  
"Or what?" Ken repeated with a smile, watching Daisuke's face for his reaction. There was a brief flash of surprise, and then pleasure, and he felt his stomach take up its fluttering.  
  
"Cool! I'll go tell Jun, and do you want to call your mom, or do you want me to?" His excitement was contagious, and Ken found himself getting to his feet.  
  
"I'll call. I don't know what my mother would do if a strange boy called home and said he was keeping her son."  
  
Ken expected Daisuke to laugh, and he was rewarded with that and a grin. "I'll just tell her that I'm the one who owns you for the week."  
  
"Oh, yes, that would be better. Then you'd only have to explain why you were keeping me for longer than the agreed twelve hours."  
  
Ken -wasn't- expecting Daisuke to pick up on that comment, though. "Well. Why -am- I keeping you past the 'agreed twelve hours?'"  
  
The genius was stuck without an answer as he debated internally over how to respond. After a few moments, during which Daisuke seemed to pick up on his hesitancy, Ken finally shrugged. "Because you want to. And I want you to." The smile he flashed at Daisuke was small and unsure, and just a little bit flirty, a reflection of the uncertainty and hope inside him. It was one thing to say that getting Daisuke was easy, but it was another to actually move forward and put any plan into action.  
  
Daisuke was the first person Ken had ever felt truly comfortable around, and it made talking with him, interacting with him easy, but that was when things were stable and steady, and Ken knew where they both stood. Now he was waiting with bated breath for Daisuke to give him some form of encouragement.  
  
The brunet just grinned back and nodded. "Yes, I do. You're going to watch action movies with me all night and tomorrow we're going to get up really early and do something fun."  
  
"Is that so?" Ken said, swallowing hard. Daisuke didn't seem to have picked up on Ken's flirting, feeble attempt though it had been.  
  
"That's so," Daiuske confirmed, nodding decisively. "Now call your mom while I make popcorn and tell Jun you're staying."  
  
"Yes, sir." Ken saluted him, but the brunet was already bounding into the house and towards the kitchen.  
  
*****  
  
"You're cheerful," Jun said distractedly, shoving something aside as she searched the fridge. Behind her, Daisuke just laughed as he found the popcorn, unwrapped a pouch, and put it in the microwave.   
  
"Ne, Jun," Daisuke said slowly, voice almost hesitant. Jun looked up and raised an eyebrow. Her brother was staring into the microwave with a frown. "Can Ken spend the night again?"  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Why are you even asking? Have I told you yet that he couldn't?"  
  
He rolled his eyes back at her. "I just thought that since you're the adult and all, I should ask. Because it's not every day that a boy- a, uh, friend stays over.  
  
"Ah," Jun said wisely, turning back to the fridge. She felt more than saw Daisuke look at her, waiting for her to say whatever was obviously on her mind.   
  
"What? "Daisuke asked, frowning at the look on her face. Jun laughed, found a bowl in the fridge that looked like it might still hold edible food, and stood up. She ruffled his hair as she walked past him to get a spoon.   
  
"I like him. I wouldn't mind if you dated him."  
  
"I didn't say I liked anyone," Daisuke said, still mostly confused.  
  
Jun laughed. "You didn't have to." She grinned and turned around to tease him more, but Ken chose that moment to enter the room, and she kindly leant forward to whisper in Daisuke's ear. "But no making out in the living room, and no sex until you're at least seventeen."  
  
She stepped away and leaned against the counter, watching as her brother flushed a light pink and Ken gave him a curious look. "My mother says it's okay with her if I stay the night," he announced to the quiet room. Jun's grin grew wider and she had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing out loud as Daisuke flushed darker and looked completely flustered.  
  
The microwave beeped at the same time as the smell of burnt popcorn invaded the house, and Daisuke was saved from having to make a sensible reply as he burst into sudden action and tried to save the already destroyed popcorn. He grabbed the back, wrapping his hand securely around it, and then yelped in pain as it burned his palms. The bag fell to the floor, and Daisuke headed for the sink to run cold hands over the burns, but Ken stopped him before he reached it.  
  
"You don't want to use cold water, or you'll make it blister worse." He leaned over the sink to turn the water on, and waited until it was a warm temperature before he let Daisuke put his hands under the faucet. He cradled Daisuke's hands with his own, arms overlapping Daisuke's and making them stand side-by-side, touching.   
  
While they were busy at the sink, Jun left the kitchen, but not before smiling at their backs and flashing a victory sign at her brother, even though he couldn't see it.  
  
*****  
  
"Thanks, Ken," Daisuke said softly, watching the dark head bowed over his hands. They were in the bathroom, Daisuke sitting on the counter by the sink while Ken rubbed salve into his hands and wrapped them.  
  
Ken looked up with a smile, only to stop and blink when he found his face precariously close to Daisuke's, who had leaned forward a bit. "Is it better?" he whispered, not moving away. His voice was little more than a whisper as he stared into Daisuke's eyes.  
  
"Yeah," the brunet answered, only a tad louder than Ken. His hand was still cradled by the genius and tilted at an angle between them. Daisuke leaned forward a little more, closing the distance before them, and then Jun was knocking on the door.  
  
"Daisuke, you have company!" her voice was sharp and startling, and they drew apart quickly, Ken moving across the room as Daisuke leaned back towards the mirror. There was a knock on the door and then Jun was calling to him again. "Takeru's in the living room."  
  
"Takeru?" Daisuke said, surprised. //What does he want? Is he going to apologize, too? Weird. Both of them in one day.// He grinned at Ken uncomfortably and hopped down from the counter. "Best go see what he wants, right?"  
  
"I'll let you have your conversation in private," Ken said, making it sound more questioning than he'd intended. Daisuke only grinned at the offer.  
  
"It's okay. You already heard Hikari-chan. There's not a lot Takeru-kun could add, is there?" Ken frowned as Daisuke turned to open the door. The genius had a sudden ominous feeling and he wished that Daisuke had worded his sentence differently.  
  
They left the bathroom, Ken following behind Daisuke, and proceeded to the living room, where a certain tall blond was standing, waiting. "Daisuke," Takeru Takaishi said, smiling brightly. His eyes flashed to Ken in recognition and he nodded his head and smiled politely at the genius as well. "Ken." Blue eyes quickly swung back to Daisuke. "I hope it's not a problem if I visit."  
  
Daisuke shook his head instantly. "No." //Just do like Hikari-chan did and tell me everything's cool between us. Tell me you want to be my friend.// "What's up, dude?"  
  
"Hikari called me." His eyes flashed again to Ken and then back to Daisuke, and the blond didn't bother to hide his determination or affection. "I came to apologize." He stepped forward, walking until he was the same distance from Daisuke as Ken. "I wanted to ask you if we could be friends again."  
  
The brunet grinned. //Yes!// "Of course, dude!" He held his hand out for Takeru to shake, and then blinked in surprise as the blond used it to tug him closer, and then used that closeness to press a chaste kiss to Daisuke's cheek.  
  
He didn't release Daisuke's hand when he stepped back, and Daisuke was too stunned to pull away. "And since you are so willing to forgive me for being a jerk, I was wondering if you would give me a chance...give us the chance we didn't have a couple of years ago when everything got messed up." He didn't seem to notice or mind the bandage covering the hand he was holding.  
  
Ken sucked in a harsh breath and took a step back, feeling his stomach drop and his vision constrict to the scene in front of him. "I'll go make another bag of popcorn," he said quickly, turning and fleeing gracelessly. Takeru glanced at his back and quickly reverted his gaze to Daisuke.  
  
"What do you say, Daisuke? Have your feelings changed for me with all the bad stuff between us?"  
  
The brunet recovered himself slightly, still feeling stunned. He pulled his hand away with a frown. "Takeru-" He stopped, not knowing what to say. "I liked you and Hikari three years ago... and when she came and talked to me today, I didn't like her like that anymore...Ken and I..." //I really like -him-.//  
  
Takeru seemed to understand what he didn't say, though, and he stepped back with an embarassed look. "I'm sorry." He took a deep breath and then smiled again. "But we are still friends, right?" Like that, the awkwardness dropped, and they shook hands again, Daisuke eager to be on good terms and Takeru more than happy to smile brightly if it would get him away quicker and on better grounds.  
  
A few minutes later, Takeru left and Daisuke shut and locked the door behind him before going to find Ken, a grin on his face. The genius was no longer in the kitchen and the smell of freshly popped popcorn had replaced the odor of burnt popcorn. Daisuke followed the smell into his room, where Ken was sitting quietly on the bed and staring at the dark television screen.  
  
He jumped slightly when Daisuke sat down on the bed beside him, and then smiled as best he could. "So? New boyfriend?" There was a stiffness in his voice and face as he spoke, and Daisuke smiled slightly and shrugged.  
  
"I don't know," he said. And he smiled shyly and leaned forward, closing the distance between them.  
  
Shocked, Ken sat where he was as warm lips pressed against his, wide eyes resting on Daisuke's face. The brunet pulled back and bit his lip, looking fearful and uncertain, and something in Ken's mind finally clicked into place. "Yes," he whispered hoarsely, before swallowing and repeating the word. He closed his eyes and leaned forward, offering his lips to Daisuke again, an offer the brunet accepted with more enthusiasm than skill.  
  
Still, it was good. Awkward, but warm, and so very tender and sweet. When they parted again, they smiled at each other, both faces tinged with an embarassed pink color.  
  
Daisuke reached out and tucked a lock of blue hair away from Ken's face, fingers resting gently against the other boy's temple before brushing down over his cheek. "Ken?"  
  
Dazed, Ken made a sound of inquiry.  
  
"What movie do you want to watch first?" Daisuke asked softly.  
  
In answer, Ken leaned forward and kissed him again. 


	9. Day Six: Friday, Morning snippet

Every Day - Friday Morning

Author's note: I'm posting this now, today, so that I can say I've updated. The rest of this has given me fits for ever, but I'm getting closer to posting more. Sorry for the horrendous delay between updates.

*****

The pattern of sleeping had been set on the previous two times Ken had spent the night. They would, somehow, end up sleeping together, and Daisuke would wake up first the following morning. Friday saw a rather interesting change in Daisuke's response. Two times before, Daisuke had gotten up and been out of bed long before Ken's mind re-approached the land of the living. Third time through, he decided he could think of nothing better than being exactly where he was when Ken woke up: firmly pressed against his friend, their arms around each other and Ken's each exhalation brushing hot moisture across the skin of Daisuke's neck.

//He's sleeping on me,// Daisuke noted mentally. He smiled sleepily and gave Ken a gentle squeeze. He was still in the drowsy stages of waking up, when the world was a beautiful place and actually getting up seemed like a waste of a perfectly good, warm bed. Not to mention a waste of a good, first-morning-together cuddle. It was the first Daisuke had ever had and he was determined not to miss out on it.

Ken slowly began to rouse some time after the seven o'clock hour. They were both early morning risers, by some odd coincidence. Even on vacation, neither of them had slept past nine o'clock. Admittedly, Daisuke had tried. 

Good morning, Daisuke whispered, waiting with tense anticipation while Ken stiffened in surprise at waking to find himself in someone's embrace.

the genius's voice inquired softly, even as Ken tried to push away to see the boy beneath him. Daisuke loosened his hold and let Ken get only far enough that they could meet each other's eyes. Ken looked slightly puzzled for a moment, and then he blushed and ducked his head again, hair coming forward to finish obscuring his face from Daisuke's gaze. he finally said.

Daisuke waited a few more moments, but Ken made no effort to break the contact between them, so he took that as encouragement and used his arms to tug Ken back down to him, so Ken was once again laying partially overtop Daisuke's body. Sleep well? Daisuke asked, reaching up with the arm not wrapped around and under Ken to play with the other boy's hair.

I... yes, I did, Ken answered. He pressed a little closer and rested his head on Daisuke's shoulder, his body relaxing fully in Daisuke's grip. And you?

I slept great, Daisuke said enthusiastically. Experimentally, he tapped his foot against Ken's careful not to dislodge the blanket over the lower half of their bodies. I need a you-size pillow for when you're not around, because that's the best sleep I've gotten in a while.

Daisuke felt Ken's laughter, where the boy's chest was pressed up against his side, and he grinned proudly. //I can do this. I'm funny, and I'm cute, and I'm smart. I can make Ken happy and be a great boyfriend.//

The house was silent as they lay there, neither one speaking for a moment. Jun had left a short while ago, before Ken had woken up. Normally not liking long pauses of quiet, Daisuke was strangely at peace as he continued to comb his fingers through Ken's hair, hands working through the locks and brushing them down along the side of Ken's head.

I feel like I should purr, Ken said suddenly. To Daisuke, he sounded amused.

he tried to shift a little to get a better look at Ken, but he couldn't manage it without tilting his head at an awkward and almost painful angle.

Because you're petting me. There was definite laughter now. 

Daisuke felt his cheeks flush a little, and he hazarded a guess Ken would be blushing, too. Are you blushing? he teased. 

In answer, Ken turned his face more into Daisuke's shoulder, so even if Daisuke could have seen Ken's face before, it was hidden now. No. Of course not. Of course he was. He was just hiding it.

The feeling of being on top of the world made Daisuke restless, and he pushed Ken away a little so he could turn onto his side facing the genius. There was indeed a pink glow to Ken's cheeks that couldn't be attributed to anything but embarrassment. Ken met Daisuke's gaze squarely, if questioningly, and waited.

Daisuke wasn't in a hurry to break the silence between them, and he waited for Ken to speak up first. How are your hands?

The brunet raised one hand between them and wiggled his fingers. They're okay. He offered Ken a sheepish grin. They weren't really that badly hurt, you know?

Hurt enough, Ken contradicted him gently. He smiled and reached out to press his palm against Daisuke's, the action hesitant. 

Daisuke grinned and accepted the gesture, taking it one step further as he laced his fingers through Ken's and then dropped their hands between them. But see, I had the lovely Nurse Ken to take care of me. He laughed at his own joke.

Ken laughed as well, though his laughter was softer and short-lived. Why Nurse Ken, and not Doctor Ichijouji?

The answer to that wasn't what Ken expected. His eyes widened as Daisuke suddenly pressed closer, face intent, and asked, You want to play doctor' with me?

The genius gaped for a moment, brain freezing as he tried to think of a response. His confusion was enough that Daisuke was able to slide closer, one arm going to rest over top Ken's, his arms tightening ever so slightly over the genius's sides. Ken's vocalization was too soft to be protest, too uncertain to be anything but a question, or possibly a plea. Either way, Daisuke answered it the best he could, lips seeking for and finding Ken's mouth in the seconds before he closed his eyes.

*****

Daisuke grinned at Ken when they parted a few short moments later. You're cute, you know that? Daisuke teased, a warmth emanating from his eyes to match the heat of his body.

If I say I _don't_ know, will you tell me again? Ken responded half-jokingly. He shifted slightly under Daisuke, his hands, clasped, coming to rest against the small of Daisuke's back.

Why, Nurse Ken, I think you're flirting with me. Daisuke followed the line with a giggle and buried his face against Ken's chest, his upper body shaking with giddy laughter. Ken joined in the laughter and shifted his arms again, wrapping them more firmly around Daisuke and hugging the auburn-haired boy. They laughed until they were breathless and Daisuke slumped boneless on top of Ken, his head turned into the curve of the genius' neck so each panting breath brushed across pale skin.

the boy on top said after a moment, the syllables coming out soft but certain. Ken blinked for a moment and tried to remember what the sounds meant. The language of Japanese was one he had never learned. His heritage had been left behind by his second-generation parents in their rush to be Americanized and accepted. On his own, Ken had studied the language briefly, but until Daisuke, he'd never been friendly enough with a person who spoke the language naturally to learn from them. 

What does that mean? Ken finally gave in and asked, the search of his mental memory bank coming up unsuccessful.

It means you're cute and you can't resist me, Daisuke answered, snickering quietly. Ken smiled, and reached up and tugged at a lock of Daisuke's hair. Hey! Pull my hair again and I'll have to kiss you, Daisuke warned. Ken was tempted to repeat his action, but then decided that was what Daisuke wanted, so he didn't even though he wanted to. After a few minutes of waiting, Daisuke made a displeased noise and pushed up until he was hovering over Ken, arms braced on either side of the genius's head. He looked hurt and offended. You don't want me to kiss you?

The combination of emotions made Ken smile gently. I do want you to kiss me, he corrected. The grin he received in answer of that admission sent shiver through him, one that left his toes nearly tingling as the fire returned to Daisuke's eyes.

He found himself being kissed again, Daisuke's weight settling — fitting — against his body comfortably. Thinking, Ken decided fuzzily, could wait until he managed to get out of Daisuke's bed.

*****

Waking up didn't officially happen until after eight. Daisuke emerged from the bedroom first, grinning rather smugly and strutting as he walked to the kitchen. Ken followed behind him shortly and walked into the bathroom. He looked just as pleased, even if he wasn't smiling quite so widely.

While Ken went through his morning routine, Daisuke set to making food for the two of them. The fridge was still almost bare, so he'd have to come up with something creative, or something from the cupboards. After a moment, he decided creativity was a waste of time and turned to the cupboard to the left of the sink in search of something quick and easy to microwave. What he found was canned pasta, which while not the most delicious meal on the face of the planet, would more than suffice for them.

//Let's see. Ken should like... that one.// He pulled out two cans of the same pasta, something tomato-based and appetizing. He heard the toilet flush and then the hum of water through the pipes shortly after turning the can opener off. Ken would be nearly finished, then. 

Jun was gone for the day. On Saturday, she would still be around, no matter what time they woke up. Daisuke would make sure they left kind of early, so he wouldn't have to share Ken with his sister. It was nice she approved of their relationship, in her own way. //A little odd she was okay with it _before_ it happened. But she's Jun so that's not too unusual.//

What are you making? The question heralded Ken's entrance to the kitchen and Daisuke turned with a grin. There was an unfamiliar excitement winding through his veins and, unable to contain it, he shot across the kitchen and tackled Ken into the kitchen well. His arms wrapped around Ken before they made impact with the wall and Daisuke laughed as Ken's surprised exclamation cut off. 

I'm making food for the most wonderful boyfriend in the world, Daisuke said loudly into the soft shell of Ken's ear. He missed the genius's wince as he pulled back and waited with anticipation for Ken's reaction to that announcement.

Um, Daisuke, Ken started, voice hesitant and his smile strained. Daisuke frowned, sensing before Ken went on that he wasn't going to completely like whatever Ken was going to say. There was a certain tone people used when they told you things they knew you'd react badly to, and Ken was using it at the moment. I like you, I do, but I think-

You think too much, Daisuke interjected. He framed Ken's face with his hands and looked deep into violet eyes. Daisuki, Ichijouji.

The use of Japanese managed to divert Ken's attention for a moment, and Daisuke took that moment to wonder if Ken had allowed it purposely or just gotten lost for a moment. The former was most likely. Daisuke had avoided a serious answer the first time, and it seemed Ken knew that and was unwilling to let it go a second time. What does that mean?

Daisuke grinned and leaned forward until his forehead rested against Ken's. I like you. He grinned slightly. I like you lots, Ken.

Ken's lips curved up, becoming a genuine smile instead of the forced one he'd been wearing moments before. he said in return. He tilted his head a little and rubbed the tip of his nose against the tip of Daisuke's. We're not going to have a serious discussion about this, are we?

Caught as he was, Daisuke missed the amusement in Ken's voice. His own smile dimmed for a brief second, but he refused to worry over it. He leaned in and kissed Ken quickly, then backed up. As if on cue, the microwave beeped, and he moved to take the food out, handling the bowls carefully. 

Ken pulled a chair out from the table and sat down, looking comfortable. Daisuke sat down in the chair nearest him, just kitty-corner. He paused after setting the bowls on the table and he scooted his chair over without getting up, hands on the underside of the seat as he bounced it over the tiles. Once in place, he put his feet up on the top-most support, making his knees jut out in either direction, his left knee touching Ken's.

They ate in relative silence, the food in Daisuke's bowl disappearing at a rate twice the speed of Ken's. When the auburn-haired boy was finished, he pushed his bowl to the center of the table, rested his elbow on the edge, and stared.

For a few minutes, Ken ignored him, somewhat oblivious to the look. Then he happened to look up for a moment, eyes meeting Daisuke's gaze for a moment before looking back down at his food. After that, he sporadically looked at Daisuke out of the corner of his eye. He said nothing, until he was done. He pushed his bowl to the center of the table, next to Daisuke's, and leaned his elbow on the table about a foot from Daisuke's arm. That position brought him closer to Daisuke and he smiled slightly as he searched Daisuke's face. 

Daisuke grinned, feeling smug and excited. 

Ken raised an eyebrow, but let it go. Okay. What do you want to do today?

Daisuke thought about it for all of two seconds before shrugging. I don't care. What do _you_ want to do today?

Ken shrugged as well. I'm happy doing whatever you want to do. Play video games? Play with the dogs? Go for a walk? Go to the park and play soccer?

Ah, dude. Why don't you pick something? Please? Daisuke widened his eyes a little and gave Ken a hopeful, pleading look.

It seemed to work, as Ken nodded and reached his hand out, tentatively closing it over Daisuke's hand. We could walk over to the skate rink. It's been a while since I've done that, and it's probably not that busy right now. We could have most of the place to ourselves.

Daisuke grinned and turned his hand, winding his fingers through Ken's. Or we could stay _here_ and watch movies and have the place to ourselves.

The genius shook his head and laughed. I thought you wanted me to choose?

Fine, fine, we'll go skating. Daisuke tried to pout, but he couldn't help the grin that spread over his face as he tugged on Ken's hand to bring him close enough for a kiss. Whatever you want, Ken.

Isn't that my line? Ken asked, reaching a hand up to cup the back of Daisuke's head, holding the other boy's face close as he kissed him. Daisuke pressed into the kiss, forgetting the question as Ken's lips opened under his.


	10. Day Six: Friday, Afternoon and Evening

Every Day: Friday  
  
Every Day - Friday Afternoon, Evening, and Night  
  
Author's Note: This part had issues. Serious issues. Like broken/sprained wrists that shouldn't have ever been injured. But I've fixed it. Tried to. Now it's all fluff, which we all love, right? Saturday shall be around sooner rather than later. I have all of one hundred words of it written. Yay, hm?  
  
Disclaimer: Because I keep forgetting this and can't remember if I did this on the first part or not: I don't own them and I make no profit. This is entirely for fun. If you wish to pay me for entertaining you, please just do so discreetly. (And the last is a joke which is not meant to be taken seriously).  
  
*****  
  
"So, you've been skating before?" Daisuke asked, voice overly casual as he and Ken waited in line to rent skates for the morning. It was edging on ten o'clock and it had taken them a short ten minutes to walk from Daisuke's house. It would have taken less time, but Daisuke had insisted on walking with both arms wrapped around Ken, and the first few minutes had been spent adjusting their strides to keep from tripping over each other.  
  
Ken looked at Daisuke, eyed the tell-tale gleam of excitement and nervousness, and took that sign into account with the crushing grip Daisuke had on his hand. "I have, yes. This would be your first time?"  
  
Daisuke nodded, eyeing the rows of skates behind the counter. There was a clerk sorting out the shoe size of a seven year old girl in front of them, but they'd be getting their pairs in moments. "I've been ice skating once, but my parents wouldn't let me go roller-skating because they were afraid I'd hurt myself. Or someone else."  
  
"Ah." Ken nodded and then stepped up to the counter when the girl in front of them was done He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and requested two pairs of skates, one in his size and one in Daisuke's. He thanked the man as he took both pairs, fingers of one hand gripping tightly to the laces of four skates as he tugged Daisuke away with the other hand. "You'll do fine. We'll take it slow and we won't have to worry about crowding because there's almost no one else here."  
  
"Cool," Daisuke murmured, making an obvious effort to sound relaxed. It wasn't until they were sitting down that he seemed to realize Ken had paid for the both of them. He leaned over and kissed Ken's cheek before stealing his skates. "Thanks, Ken."  
  
The little girl, who had been in front of them in line and was now sitting across from them lacing up her shoes, giggled. Ken blushed and ducked his head, letting his hair hide him. Daisuke reached out and brushed the locks back, however, uncovering Ken's face as he smiled.   
  
"You're cute, you know that?" The words were soft, spoken in a low voice that made it private and more meaningful than any brash or romantic thing Daisuke might have said. The moment was between just the two of them. Ken's blush deepened and spread, making his ears and neck warm.  
  
Ken looked up through his lashes and met Daisuke's gaze, swallowing hard at the affectionate look Daisuke was giving him. "Thank you," he whispered in return, trying to fight off his nervousness. On impulse, he leaned up and kissed Daisuke's cheek, showing his gratitude for the compliment the same way Daisuke had for the skates. Daisuke smiled, an actual smile and not a grin, and leaned over to put his skates on.  
  
The hours until noon passed quickly, with Daisuke adjusting to the box wheels (1). He went slow at first, but quickly gained speed and confidence, until he and Ken were racing each other around the rink, easily sailing around the few other people who joined them on the floor.  
  
In a move that demonstrated Daisuke's normally cocky, "I-can-do-anything" attitude, he decided to take on skating backwards. Instead of starting at a stop, he decided the best way was to get a good speed going forwards, and then to turn, a maneuver Ken performed easily through long practice. Daisuke's luck, which had kept him upright to that point, failed him then, and his arms spun around as he wobbled and then fell hard. Instead of falling backwards, he went forward and put his arms out to brace himself. The fall attracted Ken's attention and he made his way to Daisuke's side quickly.  
  
"Are you okay?" Ken asked, stopping next to Daisuke and quickly dropping to his knees. Daisuke was hunched over on his knees, arms pulled tight to his chest. For a few horrible seconds, Ken thought he might have actually hurt himself, but then Daisuke looked up through his lashes.  
  
"You're it!" In a fast, and surprisingly graceful, motion, Daisuke was back on his feet and skating away.  
  
Ken laughed and gave chase, cutting across the old-fashioned wooden rink and going straight for Daisuke. As Ken neared, Daisuke turned sharply, trying to avoid getting tagged in return, but Ken could almost see where Daisuke was going, and he changed his trajectory to intercept Daisuke. He reached out to tag Daisuke and was surprised when Daisuke turned easily and grabbed his hand.  
  
"Skate with me?" The game of tag was over, as Daisuke skated in reverse and tugged Ken along with him. As easily as Ken had accepted the game of chess, he now accepted Daisuke's invitation. He held his other hand out to Daisuke and smiled when Daisuke took it. They fell into an easily rhythm, with Ken guiding Daisuke with gentle tugs on his arm.  
  
Morning gave way to afternoon.  
  
*****  
  
"I don't -want- ice cream," Ken protested. To Daisuke, Ken was just denying his obvious desire for the cold treat because Daisuke was insisting on paying, just like he'd insisted on paying for lunch.  
  
"Yes, you do," Daisuke argued. Daisuke made to go back to the counter to order ice cream for the both of them, but Ken grabbed his arm.  
  
They stared at one another, each equally determined to have his way. Daisuke was rather proud of his stubbornness. He didn't back down easily -- at all -- and he prided himself on being right. Even when he was wrong, he was right, simply because he would be the last man standing. Daisuke had thought Ken to be a rather quiet, giving person. He wasn't stubborn, except on the soccer field. Ken seemed determined to prove him wrong.  
  
"Daisuke, I don't want ice cream. We still have two uneaten hamburgers, which -you- ordered. We don't need more. We don't have room for more." Ken's tone was very serious, as was his expression as he gazed at Daisuke.  
  
Daisuke pouted. "But there's always room for ice cream." And for added affect, he stuck out his bottom lip and tilted his head.  
  
Ken looked away for a moment, long enough for Daisuke to feel triumph budding inside. Then Ken leaned closer, kissed his cheek, and said very softly. "No ice cream, Daisuke. Please?"  
  
And with a grudging admiration for Ken's ability to look cute, without pouting even, Daisuke conceded. He wasn't really that hungry, after all. Ice cream didn't come in Ken-flavor.  
  
*****  
  
They returned home after lunch and put the extra food in the refrigerator for Jun. Then they settled on the floor in Daisuke's room and played video games. Somehow, vague challenges became more playful, and the rewards for winning went from bragging rights to kisses and back rubs. Ken's prizes so far had included three kisses and two back rubs. Daisuke had won nothing, but he wasn't about to complain. He was massaging Ken's shoulders, the genius lying on his stomach on the floor, when the phone rang.  
  
"Be right back," Daisuke said as he stood up. Ken murmured and turned his head to the side so he could see Daisuke leave. He smiled slightly, feeling relaxed. His head was resting on his arms. Beating Daisuke at video games wasn't something new or difficult, but the rewards were definitely better than they had been any other day.  
  
Daisuke returned and held out the cordless phone to Ken. Ken rolled onto his back and accepted it with his right hand. "Hello?" he said into the receiver.  
  
Daisuke smiled at him and sat down beside him.  
  
"Ken, dear?" his mother's voice greeted him from the earpiece. Ken felt his smile dim slightly. There were few reasons she would call him at Daisuke's house and none of them boded well for spending a relaxing day with the auburn-haired boy.  
  
"It's me, mother." Daisuke raised an eyebrow at him as Ken identified himself. The look on his face said he'd read the change in Ken's demeanor. Ken shrugged and tried to smile at him.  
  
"I hope you didn't forget the Kinsons were coming over today." His mother's voice was mildly chiding.   
  
Daisuke stretched out on his side beside Ken and wrapped an arm around him.  
  
"I hadn't forgotten, mother," Ken assured. He rolled onto his side and raised himself up on his left elbow. He made a face at Daisuke. He -had- forgotten.  
  
"Good. Your father will be around to pick you up in two hours." Her voice was distracted, and Ken could imagine her checking their conversation off on her list of things to do in preparation of their small dinner party. "You will be ready?"  
  
"Yes, mother."  
  
Daisuke grinned and ran a hand through Ken's hair. Ken shifted back to get away from the touch and attempted a stern look at Daisuke -- "I'm on the phone," his eyes said -- and Daisuke pushed him onto his back.  
  
His mother's presence on the phone kept Ken from retaliating, and Ken shook his head as Daisuke rested his head on his stomach. "You could bring Daisuke," his mother's voice told him.  
  
Ken gazed into Daisuke's eyes. "I'll ask him. I'll be ready when father arrives." His words were short and just short of being impolite.  
  
His mother took the dismissal easily. "Goodbye, dear." The phone clicked in his ear, signaling that she'd disconnected the call, and Ken turned the phone off before setting it down and tucking his arms under his head.  
  
"My mother has invited you to dinner tonight. We are having guests and it will be rather boring..." he trailed off as Daisuke simply grinned at him. "Would you like to attend?"  
  
"Yes!" The answer was immediate. "Dude, you even had to ask?"   
  
Ken closed his eyes and smiled. "I guess not."  
  
Daisuke rolled onto his back his head still resting on Ken's abdomen. "So, what do I have to wear?"  
  
"Clothes," Ken answered, smirking.  
  
*****   
  
Jun arrived home at a little after four, and Ken's father pulled up a short twenty minutes later. There was enough time between those two events that Daisuke gained permission to go to Ken's, was told he couldn't wear shorts to a dinner, and managed to corner Ken for a kiss in the front hallway.  
  
Then Daisuke and Ken left and walked to the car. They weren't holding hands. Ken had started to quietly tell Daisuke that his parents didn't know about them and quite possibly wouldn't understand, and Daisuke had cut him off. It was enough that -he- knew, and Ken knew... and Jun knew, but she didn't really count. If Ken wanted to wait to tell his parents, until Saturday or Sunday, Daisuke could handle that.   
  
He could even handle waiting until Monday, if Ken was willing to kiss him for his patience.  
  
Ken opened the back door when they reached the car, then told Daisuke to take the front seat. Daisuke balked. He'd thought they'd sit in the back together. He hesitated, but then did as Ken said, but only because Ken was looking at him with the same expression he'd worn when they'd argued over ice cream. Daisuke figured if there was no battle, he couldn't lose again, so he didn't put up a fight.  
  
He opened the door and got in, then turned a bright grin on Ken's father. "Hello. I'm Daisuke. It's a pleasure to meet you."  
  
Ken's father looked nothing like Daisuke had expected. The man's hair was a simple brown color instead of the interesting blue-black shade of Ken's. He was taller and had a broadness/breadth Ken's build didn't even hint at. The man smiled, turned sideways, and held his hand out. "It's a pleasure to meet you also, Daisuke." They shook hands and Mr. Ichijouji offered his own first name. Daisuke ignored it and resolved to call him "Mr. Ichijouji." Politeness could go a long way with parents. Mr. Ichijouji turned to restart the car and take them home.  
  
Daisuke turned around and looked at Ken expectantly, eyebrows raised. "How did I do?" he asked with the look. Ken smiled back at him, looking pleased with him, and Daisuke turned back around with a proud feeling. He'd wrap Ken's parents around his finger, so that when Ken introduced Daisuke later as his boyfriend, they'd know he was a great guy and they wouldn't have a problem with it.  
  
*****  
  
Ken's apartment building was in the middle of town. It was a nice building in a nice neighborhood, where children played safely in the park down the street. Of course, the entire town was 'safe' like that, but Ken's parents referred to their block as one of the 'better parts of town.' The conversation in the front of the car was lively as they pulled into the parking lot. Daisuke was telling Ken's father about soccer and school. When asked about his family, the only person Daisuke mentioned was his sister, but the omission of his parents seemed unconscious and innocent.  
  
The car came to a stop, and the three of them got out. Daisuke almost instantly moved to Ken's side. For a moment, Ken thought Daisuke would try to take his hand or put his arm around him. He wouldn't have pushed him away, but he was steeling himself for his father's reaction. True to his agreement to wait, though, Daisuke held back. If Daisuke walked a little close, he made up for it by elbowing Ken in the side and making a joke.  
  
His father seemed oblivious to Ken's controlled nervousness. That was good. Daisuke seemed as oblivious, which was also good, because Ken doubted he would have waited until they were alone to question it. Daisuke could be sweet and wonderful, but he was also tactless and impatient. Ken wasn't quite sure which combination he liked best, since they were both cute and part of the whole he adored.  
  
The Ichijouji apartment was on the sixth floor, and they took the stairs up. Daisuke was too hyper to be cooped up on the elevator for the thirty seconds it would have taken then to get to the floor, and Ken and his father both preferred the exercise the stairs gave them.  
  
Daisuke was slightly breathless by the time they got there. Part of the reason was that he'd run up ahead of Ken and his father, then back down, then back ahead of them again. All told, he'd gone up at least a dozen flights, his happy chatter filling the stairwell with comments the entire time.   
  
Ken didn't know whether to be amused or embarrassed. His father was eyeing Daisuke oddly, trying to figure out where the boy got the energy. When asked, Ken simply answered, "High metabolism." He wasn't quite sure himself, but at the moment, it was the first logical answer he could offer.  
  
They reached the sixth floor, Daisuke ahead of them once again. He held the door for the landing and waved them both through, bouncing on his heels and grinning like a maniac. Ken was starting to get worried. Daisuke tended to be very open and honest when he was wound up like he was at that moment. If he should say something...   
  
His father unlocked the door to their apartment and waved the two boys in. Daisuke rushed right in and took off his shoes almost immediately. Ken, having formed the habit after staying most of the week at Daisuke's house, also took his shoes off. His father walked straight towards the kitchen, where his mother was making dinner. Ken took the opportunity to hold Daisuke back.  
  
"Daisuke," he started, a hand on the arm of the auburn-haired boy. "Are you okay?" He kept his voice low and his attention partially focused on the kitchen.  
  
"I'm perfect," Daisuke whispered back. He leaned forward and into Ken, his arms going around Ken's waist. "Your father likes me."  
  
Surprised to suddenly find himself in Daisuke's embrace, Ken had no response at first, and Daisuke kissed him, effectively stealing anything he would have thought up. It was a short kiss, as far as kisses with Daisuke went, but Ken's brain was mush.  
  
"Your mother is going to love me, too," Daisuke continued his own train of thought, oblivious to the one he'd derailed in Ken's mind. "After tonight, they'll both think I'm great, and when we tell them, they won't care. At all. Or they'll be really, really, happy." He was very sure about that, Ken could tell  
  
His mother's voice called to them from the kitchen, demanding her son bring his guest in for introductions. Daisuke grinned, pecked Ken's cheek with his lips, and darted into the kitchen to introduce himself.  
  
Ken touched a hand to his cheek and smiled bemusedly. His parents didn't stand a chance. At least, he hoped not.  
  
*****  
  
The Kinson family was headed by a man named "Albert" who worked with Ken's father. The wife was named something with an "E" and they had two daughters, one older than Daisuke and Ken, the other their age. With Daisuke, the number of people in the apartment was an even eight.  
  
Daisuke watched Mrs. Ichijouji wring her hands as she stared at the oven. Inside was a roast big enough to feed ten people. Definitely enough food for them all, without including the large chocolate cake sitting on the counter and the pie cooling on the stove.  
  
"I don't know what to do, Ken. It's never going to be ready in time." Mrs. Ichijouj turned away from the oven and started searching through cupboards. Daisuke had offered to help, but had been told he should sit down and relax. He was a -guest- in their home, and that prohibited him from helping out. //But boyfriends can help out. I'm sure. If she knew Ken and I were dating, maybe she'd let me help?// It was a thought worth dwelling on, and since he had nothing else to occupy him with -- he refused to think about joining the other 'guests' in the living room -- it was what he did.  
  
Ken walked to his mother and put a hand on her arm. "Mother, please. Stop worrying. Why don't you go into the living room and make conversation with Mrs. Kinson? I'm sure she's more than a little bored by the business talk by now."  
  
"Good thinking, Ken." His mother looked relieved as she smiled at him. "I guess this will give you and Daisuke an excuse to sit in here, away from the girls, hm?" She put a hand on his shoulder for a moment, then turned. Daisuke was surprised to see her head directly for him before leaving the kitchen. "Hello, Daisuke. It is a pleasure to meet you. Next time, we'll plan a dinner with just you, so we can get to know you better than we most likely will tonight." She was truly apologetic. "I'd ask if you wanted to come into the other room with me and have tea, but..."  
  
"But I'll stay here and hide with Ken." He smiled at her, taking his cue from the way she had let the words trail off. "It was really nice of you to include me at all." She smiled warmly at that, brushed a motherly hand over the top of his head, and left to join her other guests.  
  
"That was good, Daisuke," Ken said softly from across the room. He was leaning against the counter and watching Daisuke with a smile.  
  
"Yes, well. That shouldn't surprise you. I am the -master- of good." Daisuke made his way to Ken's side, where he wrapped an arm around him and leaned into him. "Your family is really nice." He rested his chin on Ken's shoulder. "You're very nice to help her out like this." He made sure his tone was teasing and playful.  
  
Ken must have read his tone just right, too, because he tilted his head and gave Daisuke a -look-. "Yeah?"  
  
"Yeah," Daisuke said back, leaning closer. "Niceness like yours should be rewarded." Ken made to say something else, but Daisuke closed the distance between them and kissed him before he could.  
  
*****  
  
Afterward dinner was served, eaten, and cleared away, Ken and Daisuke were both dragged into the living room to talk with the other guests. "No more hiding," Mr. Ichijouji had stated. Daisuke kept near Ken most of the time, especially when the youngest Kinson girl decided the genius was cute and flirted with him. Much to Ken's embarrassment, Daisuke got between them and flirted back with her. She eventually got the hint, as Ken did nothing to encourage her and Daisuke was really more annoying than flirtatious, and left them to each other.  
  
"I can't believe you did that," Ken murmured softly, leaning against the wall and taking advantage of the fact that everyone else was engrossed in conversations which didn't include him or Daisuke. They had a respite and were going to make it stretch as long as they could.  
  
Daisuke grinned at him and leaned against the wall beside him, not close enough to make them look suspicious, but close enough to press his shoulder against Ken's. "I can't believe you didn't just tell her off." There was no hint of jealousy in his voice, no accusing tone that suggested Ken should have just told her he was taken. Ken looked at him searchingly, trying to see something that didn't seem to be there.  
  
"Were you jealous?" he asked. If their roles had been reversed, he was pretty sure he would have been angry. Only by recognizing the fact that Daisuke had been 'protecting' him by flirting with the girl had Ken managed to tamp down on his own jealousy.  
  
The auburn-haired boy shook his head and leaned his head against the wall. His eyes were dark and hot and, Ken thought rather hopefully, just a tad possessive. "Not really. Almost, but why would you want her when you have me?"  
  
Ken started to laugh, thinking that was a rather cocky thing to say. He was tempted to tell Daisuke he was full of himself, but the words didn't come. Daisuke leaned just a little closer, his head still tilted to the side, and gave Ken a look full of promise. Ken swallowed hard and leaned towards him, lost in his eyes and the moment. They drifted together until their lips were touching in a light kiss.  
  
It wasn't until a high-pitched, feminine voice said, "Oh, my GOD!" and then all conversation died that Ken remembered where they were and who their audience was.  
  
"Oh, my god," he said softly, under his breath as he sagged against the wall and look at everyone else in the room. All eyes were on them.  
  
He felt Daisuke take his hand and he turned to look at him. Instead of the same fear and trepidation Ken could feel winding through his body, all he saw on Daisuke's face was happiness and pride.   
  
*****  
  
Daisuke kept reminding himself that Ken's parents loved Ken and -he- liked Daisuke. //It'll be okay. We'll work this out and they'll still love me.//  
  
The attention was only on them for a few minutes before it was split between them and Ken's father. The man was staring at them with his mouth gaping, obviously as surprised as his guests at what they had just done. Daisuke really should have felt at least a little embarrassed, but kissing Ken made him feel good, and holding his hand in front of everyone was a high Daisuke wasn't going to let go of easily. If at all.  
  
Finally, Mr. Ichijouji turned to his wife, and they leaned their heads close together as they whispered. Daisuke squeezed Ken's hand and then tugged him closer so he could wrap an arm around him. The Kinsons kept looking back and forth at either side of the room, switching between staring at Daisuke and Ken and looking at the parents to see what their reaction would be. No one seemed eager to say anything until the head of the house made up his mind about how to react. Finally, Ken's parents stepped apart.  
  
Mrs. Ichijouji, with a smile in place and no outward indication of awkwardness, returned to her conversation with Mrs. Kinson as if there had been no interruption. Mrs. Kinson wasn't quite as able to put it aside. Her answers to Mrs. Ichijouji were short and distracted as she watched Mr. Ichijouji cross the room to his son.  
  
He was frowning slightly when he reached them, and Daisuke felt Ken grip his hand a little tighter. "Would the two of you please accompany me to the master bedroom?" His voice was stiff and formal, despite the fact that they were the only ones who could hear his low tone.  
  
Daisuke wasn't entirely sure if that was good thing or not, but he followed Ken when his boyfriend went to the back of the apartment. Ken's father didn't come in directly, and as soon as they were alone, Ken turned and hugged him, thin arms wrapped tight around Daisuke's shoulders. Daisuke returned the embrace, wondering at this sudden act of affection on Ken's part. He didn't have long to wonder, though.   
  
When he came into the room, Mr. Ichijouji had a calm expression on his face, one Daisuke recognized as the universal parent-look of "Now, Daisuke, listen really closely as we tell you something you're not going to like."   
  
//What is it with this family and the serious conversations?//  
  
No one spoke at first. It seemed that even though Mr. and Mrs. Ichijouji worked out the 'who' of the discussion, they'd failed to work out exactly 'what' would be discussed.  
  
Ken turned in his arms, but didn't pull away, so Daisuke rested his chin on Ken's shoulder as best he could despite the difference in their heights. Ken leaned back against him, helping out with that detail as Daisuke crossed his arms over the genius's chest. //Two on one, but the ball is in Mr. Ichijouji's court.//  
  
The man finally spoke. "How long have you two been...?" He trailed off as if he didn't know how to form the right word.  
  
"Boyfriends," Daisuke supplied helpfully. He felt Ken tense up a little in his arms, but there was no vocal protest, and no answer, so Daisuke supplied that as well. "Since last night."  
  
Mr. Ichijouji looked at them for a moment longer, before nodding thoughtfully and rubbing the bridge of his nose with one hand. Daisuke got the feeling he hadn't been expecting that, or really any answer. With Mr. Ichijouji's gaze averted, he took a moment to nuzzle Ken's neck, which Ken seemed to like. He tilted his head to give Daisuke better access and relaxed just a little.  
  
"Daisuke, may I please speak with Ken alone?" Despite the rather polite tone of voice the request was asked in, Daisuke knew it was a command. He gave Ken a squeeze and let go of him. Ken straightened up, back stiff, and stared at his father as Daisuke left the room.  
  
*****  
  
Ken found Daisuke in his room. The auburn-haired boy was sitting at his desk and playing with his computer. The icon on the screen indicated a game was loading, but it was taking a long time and Daisuke was fiddling with the mouse impatiently when Ken walked up from behind and hugged him.  
  
Daisuke jumped, then turned the chair so he could pull Ken closer, tucking his head against Ken's stomach and giving him a hug. "So, do they love me yet?" Ken could tell he was half-kidding, but there was a bit of nervousness in those brown eyes. Ken thought it was about time Daisuke started to show a little worry, but the thought was short-lived.  
  
He smiled down at Daisuke. "They like you well enough to let you spend the night." There was a sign flashing in Ken's head which told him it would be okay. He hadn't been yelled at, hadn't been told to make Daisuke leave, that what they had was wrong, or any of the negative things he had expected. There had been a lecture about responsibility, about sex and what his parents thought was inappropriate for his age no matter who he dated. There had even been, just as Ken was leaving the room, a softly spoken wish that he do what made him happy -- which had been followed by a slightly rougher reminder of 'within reason.'  
  
There had also been a question, asked innocently enough, which had struck Ken deeply. He was Daisuke's for a week. He had agreed at the beginning to be the friend Daisuke wanted. Obviously that 'friend' was now 'boyfriend,' but after Saturday, what would Daisuke expect of him?  
  
Ken had realized, as they asked, that they thought this 'relationship,' whatever it was he had with Daisuke, would end as soon as he no longer 'owed' Daisuke, as soon as the terms of the auction were over.  
  
He looked down at the head pressed against him and ran his hands through soft, auburn locks. "Daisuke?"  
  
"Hm?" The question was quiet, distracted. It was rather late in the day, and they'd been active for most of it. Added to that was the stress of the past hour or so, and Ken could feel his own fatigue starting to pull at the last of his energy.  
  
"What do you want to do on Sunday?" Not Saturday, -Sunday-; after their prearranged week was over and gone.  
  
Daisuke hummed for a couple of seconds, thinking about that. He finally shrugged and tilted his head, resting his chin against Ken as he looked up at him. "Want to go swimming? Jun can drive us to the pool."  
  
"That sounds wonderful," Ken answered, relaxing completely. Daisuke stood up without pulling his arms away, and pressed a kiss to Ken's chin, his cheek, and then his lips. Ken stopped him before the kiss could deepen or rob him of rational thought, as Daisuke's kisses tended to do. "You are wonderful."  
  
"I know that," Daisuke said back, grinning as he stood up on tiptoe, determined to kiss Ken. Ken wasn't about to argue in the face of that determination, not when giving in was so much more fun. He knew all he needed to know at the moment and everything else could wait.  
  
*****  
  
A bed was made up on the floor in Ken's room. His father carried two sleeping bags in from the master bedroom and his mother brought in sheets and an extra pillow. The resulting pallet was wide enough for six people. The first sleeping bag created a thin mattress over the floor, and with the heat in the apartment at a sub-tropical level, Daisuke was able to lay on top of the second one as well, increasing the padding between his body and the floor. Given that he and Ken had spent two of their nights on the floor in his room without such comfort, the padding was an extra he hadn't expected but definitely liked.  
  
By nine o'clock that night, they were settled into their respective 'beds.' Ken was in his loft bed, high up off the floor compared to the pallet where Daisuke was supposed to be sleeping. There had been an argument over who got to sleep in the bed. Daisuke had won the argument by lying down on the blankets, pulling them into his arms so there wasn't enough space for Ken to get a hold, and refusing to move. Ken couldn't struggle with him without making a lot of noise and possibly bringing his parents in to check on them, and the argument was considered finished.  
  
Daisuke took his time getting comfortable, shifting this way and that, spreading the blankets back out. He was just getting comfortably settled when he heard a noise coming from Ken's bed. He listened and heard the sound of bare feet on the rungs of the ladder, and then the soft rustle of the carpet as Ken came closer. With a smile, Daisuke slid over and held his hand out. It connected with an ankle, and Daisuke slid his hand up so he could tug at Ken's calf.  
  
"There's room," he whispered. Ken was still for a moment, and then Daisuke heard a small chuckle and the leg was pulled away, only to be replaced with Ken's hand a moment later.  
  
"My parents are going to yell at me in the morning," Ken said. He didn't sound terribly worried, and Daisuke felt the blanket smoothed out on the side to make room for Ken's body.  
  
Unconcerned, Daisuke pressed as close as he could as soon as Ken had lied, and snuggled against him. "Just tell them we got cold." They were silent for a couple of minutes. Daisuke rubbed his foot against Ken's leg. "So, your parents do like me?" He'd asked the same question an hour before, and again an hour before that.  
  
Ken laughed softly and nodded into Ken's neck. "They think you're very sweet and good for me. They won't think you're so good for me if they find us in bed together in the morning, but we'll let them keep their delusions until dawn."  
  
"Technically, we're not 'in bed.'"  
  
Ken laughed and Daisuke kissed his temple, then tossed the foot which had been rubbing Ken's leg over his legs, so that Ken was wrapped in arms and legs, nestled against Daisuke's body. "Technically, we both -could- be in bed instead of on the floor."  
  
*****  
  
Notes:  
  
(1) "Box wheels." Don't give me that odd look, please. I have roller blades. Inline skates. They're very common to buy in stores and such. However, when we got to skating rinks in this area, they don't -have- inline skates for rent, only the four BOX-wheeled skates. I had to clarify this, for a couple of reasons.  
  
(1a) Daisuke -has- ice skated. He admits as much.  
  
(1b) Inline skates and ice skates are much more similar than box wheels. Instead of ---- you have = = on the bottom.   
  
(1c) I'm an idiot who -really- likes notes on the bottom of her chapters.  
  
(2) This one isn't marked in the rest of the story, because it's just a nit-picky detail. Where I live, we have a variety of floor-types when you go to a skating rink. The one I used as a child was wood. It was well taken care of until about six years ago, when gum on the floor became a problem. However, when we go to Pines to go skating, their floor is smooth cement. It's just a minor detail, but wood is more fun. 


	11. Day Seven: Saturday

Day Seven: Saturday

It took quite a while for Daisuke to extract himself from Ken's hold and make his way down the loft's ladder. The sun was already peeking in the window, and there was a light under the door, the latter signalling someone was awake and moving within the apartment. Daisuke was a light sleeper, and he hadn't heard the door to Ken's room open and shut, so it was unlikely Ken's parents had checked on them yet.

He slid under the first layer of sleeping bags. It was only when he tried to rest his head on the pillow he realized he'd left his up on Ken's bed. He debated for a second whether to get up, but the sound of footfalls in the hallway decided him. He rolled over onto his stomach and curled up.

The door opened and the spill of light brightened the shadows of Ken's room, noticeable even behind Daisuke's eyelids. He worked to keep his breathing even, face and body relaxed. The door shut again with a click, the steps retreated, and Daisuke grinned against his arm. One less reason for them to dislike him, then.

His happiness was cut short by a sudden noise from the loft. He lifted his head and listened. It came again, a small sound of distress. He recognized it as a whimper, reminiscent of the noises Worm used to make when he was still frightened of Daisuke. Fear. Ken.

It took only a second to get back up the ladder, especially since this time he wasn't worried about waking Ken. Daisuke crawled right over the other boy and only then found himself hesitating. Ken hadn't been awakened by all of Daisuke's movements, but neither was he whimpering anymore. With a slight frown, Daisuke rolled to the side. Atop the covers, he fit himself as best he could against Ken's side, one arm draped over Ken's stomach, and waited for the return of nightmares that never came.

* * *

Nine o'clock came and went with no sign of Ken's parents. Daisuke couldn't tell if they had left at some point, or if they were lurking somewhere in another part of the apartment, waiting for unwary young boys to walk defenseless into their clutches. When Daisuke woke Ken up to share his theory, the dark-haired boy stared at him for a long, sleepy second before rolling over to laugh into the pillow.

Pleased with himself for making Ken giggle like a girl, Daisuke slid back down the ladder for the second time that day. He hadn't quite been joking about Ken's parents lying in wait, so he busied himself taking care of his 'bed', in the hopes that by the time he was done, Ken would be awake and ready to accompany him. He wasn't.

"Come on, Sleepyhead."

"You weren't this persistent to get me out of bed at your house," Ken muttered.

"Well, yeah," Daisuke returned. "At my place, there's only Jun to worry about. And really, unless you're Yamato, you're safe. The entire hair thing was just..." He waved a hand about in the air, but the right word eluded him. "It was an off day. Strange cute boys in the kitchen. You know."

Ken hung his head over the loft and fixed Daisuke with a grin. "Actually, I have no idea. I've been in a kitchen with you, and I had no desire to scalp you while we were there."

For a moment, Daisuke was distracted by the compliment. Then he remembered the point he had been trying to make, and he returned to defend it with what amounted to the best argument ever. "You're not Jun."

"I had wondered," Ken stated flatly. Daisuke stared at him for a moment before heading for the ladder, but Ken was ready for him. A pillow battered at Daisuke's head before he'd even made it one step up, and that was the scene Ken's mother interrupted when she opened the door.

Both boys froze, Daisuke with his arms over his head in defense, Ken half-hanging over the edge of the left with the pillow just hitting the low-point of its arc. Daisuke felt the 'weapon' brush against him, but Ken's arm had lost its driving force, and the hit was weak.

"Morning, Mother," Ken said. He sat back on his bed and placed the pillow before him. Daisuke turned around and half leaned against, half sat on the ladder.

"Good morning, Ichijouji-san." It was harder to smile than he had expected, but he was intimidated by the stiff look on her face. There was no emotion there for Daisuke to identify, nothing to tell him whether she hated him just a tiny bit or a lot, or if he was her son's favorite boyfriend ever. He finally managed to unstick his tongue from the roof of his mouth to ask, "What's for breakfast?"

Ken made a choking sound that sounded like it could have been a laugh, and his mother's expression cleared into something recognizable as confusion. "I hadn't decided. What would you boys like?"

That was an easy question to answer. "Pancakes. Or waffles, if you can. Although, come to think of it, it's been awhile since I've had French toast. Or-" Daisuke wasn't the only one to have recovered; Ken had put a little extra oomph behind his swing, and the force of the pillow to Daisuke's head not only shut him up, it knocked him partway off the ladder.

The laughter that time came from Mrs. Ichijouji, who failed to muffle the sound completely behind her hand, despite her best to hold it back. She was quick to compose herself, but the amusement didn't leave her expression completely as she said, "I think I can do pancakes. I'll see you two at the table shortly."

"Thank you!" Daisuke called. He raised his voice to be heard through the door as she shut it firmly behind her. Alone with just Ken again, Daisuke turned and made a charge up the ladder. Ken was laughing again, louder and more freely than before. Daisuke knocked the pillow aside and tackled his boyfriend back into the mattress.

* * *

Ken insisted they dress before joining his parents for breakfast, so Daisuke slid across the hall to the bathroom while Ken changed in his room. They met in the hallway a few minutes later, and Daisuke took one look at Ken's face before deciding his boyfriend needed to relax just a little bit more.

Not that kissing seemed to help all that much. Ken didn't so much relax as he shifted his tension, so that he looked happier and more determined, but no less battle-wary. It was still better than the half-frightened look which had been creeping up around the corners of his eyes.

All in all, Daisuke thought it went very well. Ken's parents were polite, and at one point in time, they even seemed to laugh genuinely at one of his jokes. When breakfast was over, Mr. Ichijouji took himself off to the living room and his wife shooed the boys out of the kitchen in order to clean up. Daisuke and Ken took that as their cue to clear out of the apartment completely.

"So, where to?" Ken asked. He looked at Daisuke expectantly, and the auburn-hair boy in turned looked around at the street in hopes of inspiration. None came.

His house had his video games and movies, plus the dogs. It also had his wallet, which was pretty much empty. Jun had taken back the money she'd lent him for paint ball. There were the parks spread throughout town, three of them, but they had outgrown the playground equipment. Soccer, which they'd already played. Daisuke looked at Ken before discounting soccer completely. The season was coming up, and they'd have enough practice and such then.

"Nothing?" Ken was laughing at him.

"Nothing," admitted Daisuke in defeat. He sighed. "Video games at my place?"

"Or something more entertaining at my place," Miyako suggested. Both boys whipped around in surprise. Ken took a step back, as she was closer to him and her target besides. Daisuke stepped between them. Her eyes settled on him. It was easy to read by her body language she hadn't gotten over her previous anger. At either side, she had a fan club flunky. Three to two was much better odds than seven to two.

There was no refusal from Ken, at least not a vocal one. He had gone a little pale at her appearance, and Daisuke could see the discomfort on his boyfriend's face when he turned his head to meet his gaze. He looked back at Miyako with new determination. "Miyako, leave him alone."

"Excuse me?" Her tone was dangerous, and her stepping forward only served to increase her intimidation factor. Someday, Daisuke would hit a growth spurt and she wouldn't stand over him quite so much, but until then, he had only bravado and Ken's affection to carry him through. He probably would have done the same on just the bravado.

"Leave him alone." He too stepped forward, putting him practically nose-to-neck with her. "Stop this. He doesn't want a gaggle of girls following him around like he's a celebrity. It's embarrassing a-and demeaning. You think he's hot, but you don't know him and you obviously don't care to."

Most of the anger left her face, but Daisuke wasn't quite done having his say yet.

"You don't know anything about the person he is at all, because if you did, there wouldn't be a fan club and you wouldn't fight over him." He looked back at his boyfriend and smiled slightly at the surprised look on Ken's face. It made it easier to face Miyako, knowing Ken was pleased with his effort. "He's cute, but he's more of a computer geek than a star athlete."

"Daisuke, you can stop helping now," Ken said quickly. He pulled Daisuke back to stand beside him.

Miyako looked from Daisuke to Ken. With an imperious air, she tossed her hair back. "Whatever. Ken, he's an idiot, as evidenced by every word out of his mouth. As your intellectual equal, it's my duty and my privilege to extract you from the clutches of those who would drag you down."

"That would be you," Daisuke said sharply, though he was confused by a moment at the sound of the words echoing. Then he realized Ken had said the same thing at nearly the same time.

When Ken drew himself to his full height, he was nearly on eye level with Miyako, enough so that Daisuke felt a little jealous. "Miyako, once upon a time, I would have liked to have been your friend. You are intelligent in most things, but the moment you started a fan club in my honor, I lost what respect I had for your mind. Which was the first and only positive thing I ever noticed about you."

His hand slid into Daisuke's and their fingers laced together as he continued. "That was a while ago, however, and every time I catch sight of you or anyone from the club, I'm filled with dread. You have expectations of me I never want to fulfill, and an idealized view of me I never want to live up to. So I would appreciate it if all of you would let go your silly infatuation and let me be."

"Of course." Daisuke was amazed at the amount of dignity Miyako managed to hold onto in the face of Ken's dismissal. The other two didn't fare so well. They'd been sniffling from the word dread and by the end were crying outright. Miyako got them all turned around, put an arm around each girl, and walked away. Daisuke assumed she'd wait until they were in private before joining the weeping.

Meanwhile, Daisuke had a fantastic boyfriend who had just faced down Miyako with him. It was kind of an amazing thing. "Can I kiss you?" he asked, facing straight ahead as Miyako and company continued on their way.

"Here and now?" Ken asked. He didn't sound at all upset about the idea. Daisuke nodded, and then found himself being pulled forcibly into Ken's personal space and kissed.

Really, Daisuke couldn't have planned a better Saturday.

* * *

Jun was home. Daisuke stared at her for a moment when he came across her in the kitchen. "I thought you weren't coming home."

"Change of plans," she said flippantly. She was painting her fingernails, but she glanced up at the boys. "I thought you were at his place for the weekend?"

Daisuke shrugged and moved fully into the room. "Only for the night. We kind of got caught kissing, and it was a bit weird."

"That's one way to phrase it," Ken muttered. He pulled out the chair opposite Jun. "My parents had guests. It was awkward."

"I can imagine," Jun said. She was staring at Ken with something akin to wonder. Daisuke could totally sympathize; his boyfriend was many kinds of undiscovered awesome. "And so this means the two of you had to come home today?"

Ken shrugged. Daisuke took two colas from the fridge, put one in front of his boyfriend, opened his own, and then caught Jun looking at him expectantly. He gave her his can, fetched a third for himself, and sat down between them with his back to the sink.

Jun sighed and went back to her mani-whatever. "Why are the two of you back here?"

"Video games." Which was the short answer. Truthfully, Daisuke was a little tired of sharing Ken with other people. Unexpected people, at least, since he had no problem sitting there with Jun purposely not watching them. He just didn't want to be out and about, where they might run into someone else they knew, like Takeru again, or one of the guys from the soccer club. Or Hikari or Miyako.

"The dogs," Ken added. Daisuke nodded in agreement, but didn't get up to let in Vee or Worm. At least, not until Ken's foot tapped against his calf and he looked into his boyfriend's hopeful eyes.

There was silence as Daisuke got up and headed for the back door. Vee was practically vibrating at the mere sight of Daisuke, but Worm shot past him, little legs scrambling on the wooden floor as he headed for the kitchen. No doubt the little guy had heard or smelled Ken. "Come on in, V-man." The Doberman trotted after Worm, leaving Daisuke to shut the door.

* * *

"This is a really exciting life we have here." It was meant to be sarcasm, but Daisuke thought it fell a little flat since Jun was doing the exact same nothing they were. She didn't look more bored than he or Ken, either.

Ken settled his legs in Daisuke's lap, Worm resting in his, and smiled. "I like it here."

Daisuke yawned and leaned his head back against the porch railing. "We should do it again tomorrow."

"Well, your week is up," Jun said, looking at her watch. She put the cat down and stood up. "Ken, are you staying for dinner?"

"If it's okay," he answered. Daisuke looked over at his boyfriend, his heart suddenly beating hard in his chest. Ken caught his gaze and frowned at him. He didn't say anything until Jun had gone inside, the screen door banging shut behind her. "What?"

Daisuke shook his head, but it was harder to shake the doubt. Ken was still sitting there, not rushing to go away now that his term of service was up. And Daisuke hadn't asked for Ken to like him like him, but to be his friend, so it wasn't like Ken was dating Daisuke because he'd told him to. Doubt was sitting hard in his stomach.

The taller boy leaned up, his feet sliding out of Daisuke's lap as he put Worm on the porch. "Daisuke?"

"I didn't think. And it's not. I mean, it's not." He tried to sound more certain than he felt. "Except, you think differently than I do, so maybe this is how you took what I said? But it's not like that."

"Oh." Understanding softened the concern on Ken's face, and then Daisuke could see nothing more than Ken's eyes and the skin around them as his boyfriend was kissing him again. As an argument in favor of it not 'being like that', Daisuke thought it was quite convincing.

Jun's return was audible, though it didn't cause either boy to pull away. "You two are at it again?"

Ken laughed, which gave Daisuke time enough to shoot his sister a dark look. "Some things never get old," he said, which only set Ken off further.


	12. Epilogue: Monday

Daisuke usually hated going back to school after extra days off, but for the first time in memory, he was looking forward to it. Ken had returned home Saturday evening and had been kept busy all day Sunday with family plans, so Monday would be the first time Daisuke had been able to see him in more than thirty-six hours. It felt like forever.

He jogged up the steps into the school and then slowed his steps when he saw Taichi, Koushiro, and another teacher standing just inside the entrance. "Hi, Coach," Daisuke called. He didn't stop long enough to see if the greeting was returned at all. His steps took him quickly to the lockers for his class. After getting his own books out, he waited for Ken to show up. He would have waited in front of his boyfriend's locker, but he didn't know which one it was.

His patience never lasted, but he didn't have to wait long before he saw a familiar indigo topped head coming his way. With a move that would have served him better on a soccer field, Daisuke dashed in front of his boyfriend and nearly sent them both toppling to the floor. They were only saved by Ken's quick reflexes.

"Hi," Daisuke said. Once Ken had stopped moving forward, Daisuke pressed into his personal space. "How did yesterday go?"

Ken smiled at him. "Pretty well. Boring. My parents have more friends without children my age than with. For some reason, they don't realize this means they should leave me at home. You?"

"Boring. Worm missed you and Jun complained about having to share the television in the living room with me. Normal weekend stuff." Around them, the halls became more crowded as the time for the first bell approached. "You wanna hang out tonight?"

"Yes," Ken answered immediately. He stepped to the side and tilted his head before turning his back to Daisuke to get into his locker. It took him a moment to realize that a body had come to a stop next to him, and he looked with some surprise at Takeru.

"Morning, Daisuke," the blond said. He looked toward Ken as the taller boy turned around. "Ken. We're doing another barbeque this weekend at Matt's, and I told them I'd take care of inviting you."

Daisuke grinned. "Who's in charge of cooking?" He knew better than to eat if Taichi was actually given free reign of the grill. Not that it would stop him from attending. He looked at Ken, who looked back at him with wide eyes.

"Sora volunteered my brother, so it should be safe," Takeru said knowingly. He turned his smile on Ken. "There are times you want to come for the food, and times it's best to just settle for the company."

"And you want to make sure you never eat anything Taichi claims to have made," Daisuke added. He looked hopefully at his boyfriend. "Can we go?"

"Of course," Ken answered quickly. For the first time, he turned his gaze away from Daisuke and met Takeru's eyes. "It was entertaining last week. I look forward to it."

Takeru nodded. "Two o'clock, you know the place. I'll see you guys later."

His disappearance coincided witha clearing of the halls as everyone made for their classrooms. Daisuke looked around and then at Ken, trying to guage whether a near-empty hallway counted as too public for a kiss. Ken's smile said it probably was, but he wouldn't mind, so Daisuke stepped into his space once more and tilted his head up.

"Don't forget about the soccer meeting after school," Ken said as he pulled back.

"I won't," Daisuke assured him. He settled his books firmly in his arms. "But you can remind me at lunch." The bell rang, and they parted ways. Daisuke had farther to walk to his homeroom, but time enough to reach it if he was uninterrupted.

Which he wasn't. A hand on his shoulder stopped him from entering the class and he turned to see Principal Gennai looking down at him. "Daisuke. How was your break?"

The immediate answer was, "Good," but for some reason, Daisuke flashed back to every kiss and holding of hands between him and Ken, and he felt himself flushing. He ended up strangling the 'O's when he tried to respond, but the principal just nodded.

"I'm glad to hear it. How did you enjoy your time together with young Mr. Ichijouji?" he asked, smiling politely.

Daisuke opened his mouth and tried to think of an answer that had nothing to do with hosing down Ken's fan club or turning down Takeru, but every response that came to mind was equally private or embarrassing. He managed to wrench out another, "Good."

"Good," the principal said. He waved at the classroom door. "You'd best find your seat, Daisuke."

"Yeah, thanks," the boy said, ducking into the door and doing as instructed, just in time as the bell rang to signal the start of classes.

The day commenced and Daisuke managed to spend time with Ken, avoid the principal and Miyako, and make it to the soccer sign-up. It was a good day, and he could look forward to one like it tomorrow, and the day after, and pretty much every day until the end of the school year.

Then, he and Ken could work out another schedule between them, one set up around the desire to be with each other and not the duty of having to do so. Daisuke really liked having Ken for a boyfriend. As long as he didn't have to talk to any adults about it.

Jun didn't count.


End file.
